Flambeed Vanilla Poached Pears With Apricot Sauce Recipes

POACHED PEARS IN HONEY, GINGER AND CINNAMON SYRUP

Steps:

• In a saucepan large enough to hold all the pears, combine the wine, Simple Syrup, cinnamon stick halves, honey, and ginger. Scrape in the seeds from the vanilla bean and add the bean and seeds to the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the honey has melted. Add the pears and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until the pears are tender. Remove the pears from the liquid and allow to cool.
• Continue to simmer the liquid until it thickens and is reduced by half, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Remove the cinnamon stick halves and the vanilla bean and discard.
• Place each pear on a small serving plate with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Drizzle with the honey, ginger and cinnamon syrup. Serve immediately.
• In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the syrup to cool.

FLAMBEED VANILLA-POACHED PEARS WITH APRICOT SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring 1 1/2 cups water, sugar, and vanilla extract to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Add 3 or 4 pear halves, reduce heat to medium, and simmer gently until the pears have just turned tender, about 5 minutes. Remove cooked pears to a warm chafing dish or metal serving dish, and continue to cook the remaining pears.
• Increase heat to medium-high, and boil the syrup until it has reduced to 1 cup. Stir in apricot preserves and return to a boil. Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water and stir into the simmering syrup. Cook and stir until thickened and clear, about 30 seconds.
• To serve, pour the hot sauce over the pears, and sprinkle with the rum. Carefully ignite the rum tableside with the lights turned low. Let the alcohol burn out before serving.

VANILLA POACHED PEARS WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE AND ICE CREAM (A.K.A. "POIRE BELLE HELENE")

Steps:

• Combine the water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, and lemon zest in a medium saucepan. Split vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape out the seeds and add both the seeds and the pod to the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes.
• Peel the pears. Reduce the poaching liquid to a simmer and add the pears. Cook until just tender (the tip of a paring knife will go through the flesh of a pear with just a little resistance), about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and cool the pears in the poaching liquid, until completely cooled, about 45 minutes.
• Heat the cream in a small saucepan over low heat. Put the chocolate and butter into a medium-size bowl. Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir until smooth and glossy.
• Serve the pears with a scoop of ice cream, a little pear-poaching syrup and warm chocolate sauce drizzled over the top. Garnish with a wafer cookie and serve.

POACHED PEARS IN ALMOND SAUCE

Steps:

• In a saucepan, bring the water, sugar, lemon slice and cinnamon stick to a boil. Carefully peel pears, leaving stem attached; add to sugar mixture. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until pears are tender, turning occasionally., Carefully remove pears and set aside. Add red-hots to sugar syrup; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until syrup is reduced by half. Remove from the heat; discard lemon and cinnamon. , Stir in extracts. Return pears to sauce; cool to room temperature. To serve, spoon sauce onto dessert plates; top with pears. Sprinkle with almonds.

APRICOT POACHED PEARS

Steps:

• Put preserves in a 1-cup measure. Cook, uncovered, at 100 percent power in a high-power oven for 1 minute. Remove from oven.
• Stir in 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and the kirsch. Pass mixture through a sieve into a shallow bowl. Set aside.
• Peel the pears and core them through the bottom. As you work, rub the pears inside and out with the remaining lemon juice to prevent discoloration.
• Roll each apricot lengthwise and put one in the cavity of each pear. Coat the pears in the apricot mixture.
• Arrange pears in a circle around the inside rim of a 2 1/4-quart souffle dish. Cover tightly with microwave plastic wrap. Cook 7 minutes. Prick plastic to release steam.
• Remove from oven and uncover. Serve hot or cold. Put each pear on a plate and spoon some of the remaining sauce over.

POACHED PEARS WITH VANILLA CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Peel 4 firm, ripe Bosc pears, and core from the bottom using a melon baller, leaving stems intact. In a 2-quart microwave-safe dish with a lid, place 2 tablespoons light-brown sugar and 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, and add pears. Cover, and microwave on high until the pears are tender enough to pierce with a knife, 10 to 12 minutes (timing will vary depending upon ripeness of pears). Don't be concerned if pears fall over on their sides as they cook. Carefully uncover, as dish lid will release steam.
• Transfer cooked pears to 4 shallow serving bowls, leaving juices behind. Add 1/4 cup vanilla ice cream to the juices in the dish; stir until smooth and saucy. Dividing evenly, spoon sauce around the pears; serve at room temperature or chilled.

POACHED PEARS WITH VANILLA SAUCE

Steps:

• In a heavy 2-qt. saucepan, combine 1/3 cup sugar and cornstarch; gradually stir in milk and cream until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat., Gradually add a small amount of hot mixture to egg yolks; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Cook and stir over medium-low heat for 15 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly (do not boil). Stir in vanilla. Pour into a bowl; place a piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap on top of sauce. Cover and refrigerate. , In a large bowl, combine 6 cups water and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Carefully peel pears, leaving stems attached. Immediately plunge pears into lemon water. In a large saucepan, combine lemon zest, and the remaining sugar, water and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Add cinnamon stick, cloves and pears. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until pears are tender., Carefully remove pears to a plate. Discard cinnamon stick and cloves. Drizzle syrup over pears. Loosely cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. To serve, place pears on dessert plates; drizzle with chilled vanilla sauce.

VANILLA POACHED PEARS

Steps:

• Place the pears in a large saucepan and pour apple juice in to cover the pears.
• Add vanilla bean and bring the pears to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer until tender, being careful not to burn.
• Allow pears to cool, then serve in the center of a dessert plate. Spoon sauce over the pears, then sprinkle with cinnamon powder and garnish with a sprig of mint.
• Enjoy!