For a healthy dessert following your break-the-fast meal after Yom Kippur, try these sweet poached pears, baked to perfection with cinnamon, and then bathed in a creamy sauce.
The pear is said to be related to the apple. The apple denies it. They both have several seeds in the core, but unlike the apple, the pear’s skin is paper-thin. Kind of like the thin-skinned relatives you want to avoid.
The Chinese pear is known to have the most medicinal value, or else it just has the best PR. Other varieties are also healthful, but don’t talk about it as much.
We usually think pears are bell-shaped, but some varieties are shaped like a rounded apple. They are not trying to confuse you; they just come that way.
P.S. A pear a day will keep the doctor away! No really – with vitamins A, B1, B2, C, E, folic acid and niacin – that’s good news!
Poached Pears
Servings
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons cold butter or pareve margarine plus more for greasing
- 6 Bosc pears
- Juice from 1 1/2 lemons
- 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease an 8- x 8-inch square ovenproof baking dish with butter.
- Peel pears carefully, making long full strokes with a vegetable peeler so that the pears hold their shape. Halve the pears and use a melon baller to core them. Rub lemon juice all over the pears so that they do not oxidize.
- Fit pears snugly in prepared baking dish.
- In a small bowl, using your fingers, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter or margarine until you have pea-sized crumbs. Sprinkle over pears and bake, covered with foil, for 30 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer pears to a serving plate. Pour cream into the hot baking dish, stirring to get up all the browned bits. Pour sauce over pears and serve.
Can this be made in advance?
Sure, 1-2 days in advance is fine
well – I have never poached pears in the microwave but I imagine if you have had success in the past then for sure! And yes you can adjust the liquid to your preference juice or otherwise. If you use canned fruit really all you need to do is heat the fruit/pears through since they are already soft. And for sure apples and/or peaches would work just note that peaches will have the shortest cook time of the three.
i used to made poached pears in the mircrowave using just cranberry juice & a cinnamon stick. can you add a juice to this & can it be done in the microwave? also can you use canned pears? and can you use any other fruit such as apples or peaches?