Red wine poached pears with blue cheese and walnuts are seen in this Aug. 30, 2010 photo. These pears are a seasonal dessert that needs only 5 minutes of prep time and results in a delicious treat with an elegant presentation. (AP Photo/Larry Crowe)
The problem? An abundance of pears and no real desire to eat them raw.
The solution? An easy dessert that took 5 minutes of my time and was both elegant enough to serve to company but child-friendly enough to prompt my 6-year-old to demand seconds. And to ask for it again for breakfast the next day. And lunch.
I worked no real magic. I simply peeled the pears then used a melon baller to scoop out the core (working up from the bottom). I then poached the pears in a bath of red wine (the remnants of several open bottles), some spices and sugar.
That’s it. The pears were beautiful and delicious, and I’d spent all of about 5 minutes making them.
For my son, I simply served them as is. I also could have tipped the pears on their side and placed a scoop of vanilla ice cream in the cavity. For company, I scattered some crumbled blue cheese and toasted walnuts over and around them and added a dollop of creme fraiche.
They also can be prepped ahead, then refrigerated. Either briefly warm them in a 300 degree oven, or serve them chilled.
If you don’t happen to have any bottles of red wine kicking around, opt for something in the $5 to $10 range.
