I’m going to share this elegant-looking dessert with you even though I’m the only person in my house who will eat it. My husband, apparently, does not like pears. He’s told me that before, but I guess it just didn’t register because I can’t imagine anyone not liking pears–or any other fruit. (I can’t think of a single fruit I don’t like.) So he didn’t even try this. My daughter, on the other hand, tried one bite of it but didn’t want more. She likes pears, I think. Maybe she doesn’t like cooked pears? Oh well, more pears for me!
The recipe is super-fast and easy because you use a microwave to cook the pears. If you don’t like microwaves, you can cook the pears on the stove, but you’ll need to simmer them in fruit juice or other liquid, whereas if you cook them in the microwave, you’re basically poaching them in their own juices.
Poached Pears in Raspberry Sauce
4 Bosc pears
1 1/2 tsp. maple syrup
cinnamon
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
1/4 cup apple juice
1 1/2 tsp. orange liqueur
sweetener to taste (I used 3 tbsp. agave nectar)
Peel the pears and trim the bottoms to that they (maybe) stand upright. Put them in a microwave-safe casserole dish, drizzle them with the maple syrup and sprinkle them with cinnamon. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Cook on high power until they are tender, but not mushy, about 8-10 minutes. When they’re done, lift them out of the dish and place them on serving plates. Reserve any of their juices to add to the raspberry sauce.
If the raspberries are frozen, heat them in a saucepan until they’re thawed. Then put the raspberries and orange juice in a blender, and add any juices from the pears. Puree until completely blended. Set a strainer over the saucepan, and pour the raspberry mixture through it, stirring and pressing on it to force the juices into the pan while removing the seeds. Add the orange liqueur and sweetener to taste. Heat, stirring, until mixture thickens slightly, about 5-10 minutes.
Serve the pear on a dessert plate or bowl surrounded by raspberry sauce. Garnish, if you wish, with extra raspberries.
One pear per serving: 192 Calories (kcal); 1 g Total Fat; (4% calories from fat); 1 g Protein; 48 g Carbohydrate; 0 mg Cholesterol; 1 mg Sodium; 8 g Fiber.
Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free Eat to Live
Anonymous
November 16, 2009 at 2:32 amHi – I was up late looking for recipes for Thanksgiving. I have always wanted to try a poach pear recipe and found yours. I was also hungry. I happened to have a few pears. I peeled one pear, slowly poured some maple syrup and followed it up with a little cinnamon. I layed it down on a small plate and covered the pear with plastic wrap. Then placed the plate in the microwave for appx 4 minutes. What a wonderful dessert! It was absolutely delicious and so easy to make! What a great find….thank you!
Michelle
November 11, 2011 at 2:09 pmWow! I tried this without making the raspberry sauce. It is SO SO good! I got brown pears in my food coop basket. We don’t really like brown pears, so it’s usually a chore to get them eaten. This recipe is so tasty and elegant…delicate flavors mingled together that you wouldn’t think would be so complex with just three ingredients. But va va voom. It’s YUM. Plus this recipe is so easy and quick. I’ll be glad to see brown pears in my basket from now on. These disappeared in one day. Thank you!
Ravi Kavia
March 24, 2012 at 10:15 amPlease may I use the image of the poached pears on the following page:
https://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2006/08/poached-pears-in-raspberry-sauce.html
I wish to use the image for a desserts report as part of my gcse IT coursework.
If I do not recieve a reply within the next few days, I will assume that I have permission to use it. Please dont hesitate in contacting me if you have any queries or objections.
Thank you
Susan Voisin
March 24, 2012 at 10:18 amAs long as it’s not published for commercial use, either on the web or in print, you can use it for your coursework.
moonwatcher
April 3, 2012 at 3:45 pmHi Susan,
This recipe was recommended in an Engine 2 e-mail about Easter treats–I can’t believe I missed it, after all these years! I’ll join you for pears–I am excited about this one because, as you know, I have a pear tree AND a raspberry patch. I love the idea of a little orange liqueur in the raspberry sauce. I keep a tiny bottle, like the kind of thing they serve on airplanes, for just such a use. And I really got excited when I realized that although I don’t have a microwave, I have a juice steamer, and I could steam the pears in it and use the juice that accumulates for the sauce. . . or just steam them in a deep pot. Oh boy, oh boy, I look forward to these! (and I’m with you–how could anyone not like a pear–to me they are the closest thing to what sunlight must taste like 🙂 )
xoxo
moonwatcher