Show-stopping Red Wine Poached Pears with Vanilla topped with ice cream and madagascar vanilla honey almonds, the perfect winter dessert.
Red Wine Poached Pears with Vanilla is a sophisticated dessert that is easy to make ahead of time for a special holiday dinner. These make the perfect gluten-free and guilt free dessert. Make them for your next holiday potluck or friendsgiving spread.
I partnered with Fred Meyer, part of the Kroger Family of Stores to bring you the Red Wine Poached Pears with Vanilla dessert. Pick up some Private Selection Double Vanilla Ice Cream for creaminess and Private Selection Madagascar Vanilla and Honey Almonds for crunch.
One of the pure joys of making these poached pears is the fragrant aroma that fills the house. Another is seeing the pale flesh of the pears gradually transform to pure crimson. And then there is the ultimate joy of eating them when they are served with ice cream and nuts! You can also serve these with homemade whipped cream if you don’t want ice cream. Shaved dark chocolate is another toppings that pairs well with the pears.
Use this tip to help poach the pears evenly : Cut a piece of parchment paper into a circle, cut an X in the center, like below, to help the steam escape.
Red wine poached pears with vanilla is a classic French dessert that originated in the wine growing territories of Burgundy and Lyon. The French used it as a way to consume fruits that were not ripening to their liking on the tree. By marrying the flavors of peeled pears with wine, citrus and vanilla, you are able to maximize the harvest and create a dish that highlights the fruit’s natural sweetness.
The recipe is budget friendly and doesn’t take a lot of time to make. You can reuse the poaching liquid a few times too. Don’t buy expensive wine, I go for the cheapest Merlot I can find, like this one. Either get two 750g bottles of one 1.5l bottle.
I also prefer either Bosc Pear or Anjou Pear variety for this recipe since they have more structure and can withstand the poaching. Pears are the perfect ripeness for poaching when they yield slightly to pressure but are still firm. Select pears that are free of blemishes as having to remove them can affect the appearance.
When peeling the pears, work in long, even strokes to avoid a uneven appearance. Use a vegetable peeler, which works perfectly. Be careful not to bruise them when peeling.
If you have the time to leave the pears to soak in the poaching liquid for a few hours or overnight, the deep red colour penetrates all the way through to the centre of the pears. It does cause the pears to soften more though, so if you plan to do this, I recommend reducing the cooking time by a few minutes to ensure the pears won’t fall apart. See instructions below.
I hope this recipe brings a delicious idea to your holiday table this season.
Thank you for supporting the brands that I enjoy working with. This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Fred Meyer. The opinions and text are all mine.
RED WINE POACHED PEARS WITH VANILLA
INGREDIENTS
- 4 firm but ripe pears with the stem intact, peeled, cored and cut in half longwise
- 1.5 L bottle merlot or your favorite red wine
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 large orange, juiced (about 1/2 cup)
- 6 long strips orange peel (1 by 4-inch)
- 2 tbsp vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean, cut in half
- 4-8 scoops Private Selection™ Double Vanilla Ice Cream
- 1 cup, divided in 1/4 Private Selection™ Madagascar Vanilla & Honey Almonds, chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine wine, sugar, orange peel, orange juice and vanilla in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.
- While poaching liquid is simmering, peel pears, leaving the stem intact and being careful not to bruise the pears, cut in half and core, I use a melon baller).
- Cut a piece of parchment paper into a circle that fits in the pot, make an X for steam to escape. This will act as a lid. Cover the pears with the parchment paper.
- Simmer the pears for about 15-20 minutes. Gently turning every 5 minutes with a slotted spoon to ensure even color. Pears should be cooked but still firm. Cool at room temperature, turning occasionally to ensure even color.
- To assemble, add two halves of pears with a scoop or two of Double Vanilla ice cream and chopped Madagascar Vanilla & Honey Almonds. Serve and enjoy!
xoxo,
LENA
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
If you give my RED WINE POACHED PEARS WITH VANILLA a try? Let me know what you think, rate and review this recipe in comments below, share it on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook. Leave a comment and don’t forget to take a picture, tag it with #lenaskitchenblog on Instagram or tag me on my Facebook page! I love seeing what you come up with! Happy cooking.
So easy to make and they were delicious with some vanilla icecream.
Made these for a large dinner party and they were a hit and really easy to make! I ended up serving them with creme fraiche. They also keep really well in the fridge, kept mine in an air tight container and enjoyed leftovers for a few days.
Made it for a dinner party ,,, was such a hit! Will be making again
I made this recipe this weekend with my 4 yr old daughter and it turned out great. Super simple, easy to follow instructions. I would recommend following her instructions as they are written though, I chose to place large pieces of the orange peel in, instead of taking thin pieces of just the zest. The white part of the peel is very bitter and you could taste it slightly but not bad. Great recipe to do if you have little helpers, super simple, tastes great and my house smelled amazing.
Looks super delicious! Definitely planning to try it out for thanksgiving, thanks for the recipe!