Red Wine Poached Pears

• 3-6 pears, peeled, stems left on if possible
• 1 bottle of red wine, the bigger the better
• 3/4 cup of sugar (or 1/2 cup of honey)

• Whole baking spices; throw in a 1-2 of any that appeal to you! Our favorites are Cinnamon, Allspice, Cloves, and Black Pepper.

Instructions:

Reserving the pears themselves, combine all ingredients in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, place over a medium flame, and stir to dissolve sugar--the goal is to have the pears as submerged as possible, so the smaller the pan the better.

Peel your pears with a sharp vegetable peeler or paring knife, working in ribbons from the stem to the base. Submerge the fruit in their liquid and bring up to a simmer, turning them every 5-10 minutes to ensure even coverage and no scorching.

Cook for 30 minutes, remove the pears and reduce the liquid until you have 25-30% the volume you started with. Strain the syrup, and chill the pears and syrup together.

To serve, place a chilled pear in a shallow bowl and top with freshly whipped cream, and a drizzle of their rich spiced syrup!