Poached pears have always seemed a little scandalous to me. Pale, tender, curvaceous pears slip their clingy skins to skinny dip in a syrupy concoction, then brazenly pose on a little plate in all of their glory. They’re like the Victoria Secret models of the fruit dessert world. Fortunately, they’re completely family friendly and perfectly safe to share with children and husbands alike. They’re a great way to whip up a simple dessert and you can find poached pear recipes from the simplest (simmered in a plain simple syrup) to the extravagant (simmered in wine with exotic spices). When I’m feeling extra indulgent, I like to drizzle mine with chocolate ganache.
Pear season has ended in most of the country but you can still find nice pears that have been kept in cold storage. As winter draws to a close I’m grasping at the last of its seasonal flavors by poaching my pears in a very light syrup with orange and cinnamon.
I use organic sucanat to make the syrup, which lends a slight molasses flavor as well. If you don’t have sucanat you can substitute sugar, but know that will make it a less healthy option. If you’re really looking to make this a healthy dessert recipe, skip the decadent chocolate ganache. It will cut the calories to a whopping 60 per serving! You could just eat the whole pear!!! (We find half a pear to be plenty)
Have you ever poached pears? What flavor combinations do you like?
Orange Cinnamon Poached Pears with Chocolate Ganache Recipe
Ingredients
- 2-4 pears
- 1/4 cup sucanat
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 peel of small tangerine or orange
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 4 oz dark chocolate chips/chunks
Instructions
- Peel pears leaving stem intact. Slice small section off bottom to give flat platform.
- Fill a pot with 5 cups of water and stir in sucanat. Add cinnamon stick and tangerine peel.
- Heat on high and add pears, standing them up. Let simmer 15 minutes, spooning liquid over tops every couple of minutes.
- While pears poach, heat cream on medium in small saucepan. Stir in chocolate and continue stirring until melted.
- Remove poached pears to a plate and spoon over the pears.
Notes
Approximate cost/serving: Buying pears in season will really make a difference in price since they’re the main ingredient. I get organic dark chocolate chips from the bulk bins for a quite a bit cheaper than the bags of regular chocolate chips in the baking section. I also get my cinnamon sticks in the bulk spice section. This came out to about $2 to make so just 50 cents a serving.
Vegetarian/gluten free: Yes to both though there is dairy in the ganache so leave it out if you want a vegan dessert.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 670Total Fat: 29gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 27mgCarbohydrates: 104gFiber: 18gSugar: 73gProtein: 6g
Nutrition information is an estimate only.
Lovely! Chocolate and orange is one of my favorite flavor combos.
Kinda nervous about trying this but it sounds so yummy I just have to. A great dessert for my family of six because its so budget friendly.
It really is budget friendly, especially when you can get a good deal on pears. Let me know how it goes!