Slow Cooker Vanilla-Spiced Wine Poached Pears with Cost Plus World Market

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My Aunt Corrie makes the most beautiful poached pears.  Deep ruby in color and scented with spice, they resemble fine jewels more than fruit.  Very delicious fine jewels. 

Poached pears are undeniably show-stopping and make the perfect dessert for company.  This winter, I set out to develop a version that would be as simple to make as it was impressive. 

The slow cooker is the perfect choice of cookware for poaching because the longer these pears steep in their wine bath, the more flavorful they become. Of course, if you do not own a slow cooker, you could easily substitute a dutch oven set over low heat.

Though you could make these pears any day of the week, I love using this recipe as a "company dessert" because it is so hands-off. While you are enjoying your guests, dessert is taking care of itself.

When it came to devising my poaching liquid, Cost Plus World Market came to my assistance with their amazing wine and pantry sections. This recipe begins with a bottle of rich and fruity Ménage À Trois Cabernet that is sweetened with raw sugar and scented with orange zest, vanilla bean, and a duo of warm, wintry spices.

The combination is just sweet enough and layered with flavor. 

While the mixture heats in the slow cooker, the pears are prepared.  When shopping for your pears, try to find ripe, firm specimens that have their stems intact.  This will make turning and serving them a bit easier. 

By this time, the wine should be simmering and you will never again want to leave your kitchen because it just smells sooo good. 

The pears are flipped halfway through the cooking time, and are simmered just long enough for them to take in all the wonderful flavors of our spicy wine, but not so long that they become mushy.  You are still looking for them to be slightly firm and spoonable.

This color!  It makes my eyes so happy. 

Is it too early to start planning for Valentine's Day?  I feel like these would be a pretty stellar choice. 

After the pears have cooked through, some of the cooking liquid is removed from the pot and boiled down to a thin syrup that will blanket a couple scoops of vanilla ice cream. 

Sweety and salty cinnamon prailine almonds bring a very welcome bit of crunch to the scene.

And just like that, dessert is served. 

Here's to slow, winter days and the sweet rewards that they bring. 

Sincerely, 

Pedantic Foodie

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SHOP THIS POST!! 

I found all of these items at my local Cost Plus World Market in Williamsburg, Virginia. You can find all of these items and more at your local store !

washed linen napkins // gold whisk // cinnamon sticks // gold measuring cups // cinnamon prailine almonds // ivory element stoneware // marble and gold tray // Ménage À Trois Cabernet // gold wave spoons // ground allspice // stone gray element soup bowls // madagascar vanilla beans

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VANILLA-SPICED WINE POACHED PEARS 

serves 6

• 1 naval orange

• 750 ml Cabernet Sauvignon (I used Menage a Trois)

• 2 cups pure cane sugar

• 2, 5-inch Saigon cinnamon sticks

• 1 madagascar vanilla bean, split and scraped

• 3/4 teaspoon ground allspice

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 6 firm, ripe bosc pears, peeled

• 1 pint vanilla ice cream

• 1 cup sweet and salty cinnamon praline almonds, roughly chopped

Use a vegetable peeler to remove two, 5-inch strips of zest from the orange.

Combine wine, sugar, cinnamon sticks, vanilla bean paste, whole vanilla bean, allspice, cinnamon and orange zest in your slow-cooker and set on high heat.  Heat, stirring often, until the sugar has fully dissolved and the mixture is steaming; about 45 minutes. 

Add the pears to the mixture and cook on high for 2 1/2 hours, flipping the pears halfway through.  The pears should be deep burgundy in color and fork tender, but not mushy.  

Turn the heat to low and remove 2 cups of the liquid from the slow-cooker and transfer to a small saucepan.  Bring the liquid to a heavy simmer over medium high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes; until the syrup has reduced by half. 

Serve the pears alongside vanilla ice cream and drizzle with the reduced syrup.  Sprinkle with chopped almonds just before serving.  Enjoy! 

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Spiced Grape Cider

I was ten years old when my family moved into their current home. At the time, I did not have quite the same aversion to change.  I was excited to embrace something new and even more excited at the prospect of a real back yard, complete with a half dozen fruit trees and a grape vine.

I vividly remember the first time I plucked a cluster of grapes off that vine and was shocked to find that not only were their skins very tough, but they had a flavor that I had never tasted outside a bottle of grape juice. It was robust and sugary, nothing like the red and green grapes I had known before. 

I was hooked. Red grapes were okay, but Concords were just…different.

My infatuation for the Concord grape has continued unfaded over the past decade. However, the little vine has since died and my sister and I no longer spend our summers squeezing the grapes out of their skins and into our inviting mouths.

Concord grapes can be difficult to find and it is a rare thing that I get to enjoy them. So, you can imagine my delight when I discovered a new variety of grapes at my favorite grocery store. Thomcord grapes. It is a hybrid variety of grape, a cross between a Thomson and a Concord grape. They have all the appeal of the Concords of my childhood, but without the tough skins and pesky seeds.

I brought them home with high hopes and shoved a handful into my mouth while I gathered a myriad of spices. I knew the destiny of these lovely round fruits. There was only one option that could compete with good ol’ out-of-hand eating -- CIDER.

I really love cider. Like, a lot. Hot cider for crisp, chilly evenings. Cold cider for afternoon picnics. Frozen cider slushies for, well, anytime. Anytime that you do not object to a brain freeze.

Here was my thought - why is the apple getting all the attention from the cider world. Other fruits can be made into cider. Other fruits should be made into cider.

Right? Oh good, I am glad you concur.

So I gathered what was left of my bag of grapes and threw them into the blender. Have a fine strainer standing by for duty. In goes the juice and out goes the skins. We don’t want grape skins in our cider (unless that would make it skinny cider.) Hmm…? Nah, who orders skinny drinks anyways. Not me. I’m more of a whole fat, extra sugar, and of course I want the whipped cream, kind of lady.

I digress. Just do yourself a favor and take out the skins.

After you have extracted the juice from your grapes, pour the juice into a saucepan and simmer with a handful of spices.  Strain it once more and serve!

I preferred this cider hot rather than cold but the decision is, of course, yours.

It takes me back to snack time at the grapevine and satisfies my most pressing cider cravings.

Happy first day of Autumn! 

Sincerely, 

Pedantic Foodie

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Spiced Grape Cider

serves 2

- 3 cups Concord or Thomcord grapes

- 1/2 cup filtered water

- 1 cinnamon stick

- 8 whole cloves

- 8 whole allspice berries

- 1 tablespoon brown sugar

Place grapes and water in blender and pulse until the grapes have fully broken down. Strain the juice through a fine mesh strainer to remove the skins.

Pour grape juice into a small saucepan and add spices and brown sugar. Place over medium high heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer steadily for 5-7 minutes and then remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes before straining to remove spices. Serve immediately or chill and enjoy later on. Enjoy!