This Cranberry Poached Pears recipe is an easy to make dessert with very little hands-on time. Served with creamy and soft mascarpone cheese, these pears are worthy of a festive and colorful VIP dinner or a simple splurge for you and your family.
Place the pears, cranberries, orange juice, orange peel, cinnamon stick, honey*, and rosemary in a pot (with a lid) that will accommodate all these ingredients comfortably. I used a 3 ½ quart dutch oven.
Pour the water over the ingredients.
Put the lid on and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Turn down the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes or until a knife inserted in one of the pears goes in and out easily.
When ready to serve, spread 2-3 tablespoons of mascarpone cheese into the bottom of a bowl, place a pear in the middle, and drizzle it with honey (if preferred), the juices from the pot, and a few of the cooked cranberries.
Sprinkle the pears with hazelnuts and a few leaves of fresh rosemary. If preferred, drizzle them with more honey to taste.
Notes
If you are not a fan of boiling honey, you can stir it in after the pears are cooked and let it steep for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Serving suggestion: You can serve this recipe warm or cold, but I think it tastes best when served slightly warmly.
Make ahead: To prep this recipe ahead of time, poach the pears a day in advance (following the instructions above), let them come to room temperature, and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Make sure to save some of that yummy liquid for drizzling! When you’re ready to serve, assemble the pears and garnish them to your liking.
Store: To store leftovers, let the cooked pears reach room temperature and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for a day or two.