Poached Pears with Warm Coffee Sauce
This poached pears recipe can be prepared up to two days before serving—a winner for midweek entertaining. Poach your pears and make the easy caramel-like coffee sauce ahead, but warm both before serving.
Ingredients
For the pears
- 4 cups cold water
- Generous 3/4 cup superfine (or just blitz granulated sugar in a blender until finely ground but not powdery) or granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 6 ripe pears, preferably Bosc
For the coffee caramel sauce
- Scant 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 shot espresso, or 2 tablespoons very strongly brewed black coffee
- Vanilla Ice Cream
Instructions
Make the poached pears
- In a large saucepan, heat the water, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
- In the meantime, peel and core the pears, leaving the stem intact. Cut a thin slice off the bottom of each pear so that they will stand upright. Add the pears to the pan of simmering liquid. Adjust the heat, if necessary, so only a stray bubble surfaces and poach the pears gently, turning occasionally, until tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
Make the coffee caramel sauce
- While the pears poach, place all of the ingredients for the sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir to combine. Bring to a gentle boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Serve the pears
- Remove the pears from their syrup with a slotted spoon. Place each on a serving plate, drizzle with the warm coffee caramel sauce, and add your scoop of ice cream on the side.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 676kcal | Carbohydrates: 116g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 43mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 92g