Most weeks I’ll do Vanilla Poached Pears with a Chocolate Sauce but I seem to have been doing a lot of chocolate desserts lately and with a big Chocolate Cake already prepared for  a 50th Birthday this week I decided it was time to do something a little different.

The Red Wine Sauce that I poached the pears in made the whole boat smell like christmas which was wonderful and it tasted just like mulled wine!  This alone would have been enough to go with the pear but I decided a sprinkle of gorgonzola and a few walnuts would make it a little extra special and finish it off perfectly.

Not only was this dessert a big hit but it was incredibly simple to make and could be made easily at the last minute or in advance.

Ingredients ( serves 8 )

8 Pears, peeled & stalks left in tact

2 Bottles Red Wine

2 Cinnamon Sticks, broken in half

2 Vanilla Pods

5 Cloves

4 Pieces Orange Peel

250g Caster Sugar

2 Sprigs Thyme plus extra to decorate

1 Cup Gorgonzola, Crumbled

3/4 Cup Walnuts

Put the Wine, Cinnamon Sticks, Cloves, Caster Sugar, Orange Peel and 2 Sprigs of Thyme in a Saucepan big enough to hold all the pears.

Split the vanilla pods in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds.  Add the seeds to the wine mixture. Split each halved vanilla pod in half again lengthwise so that you have 8 long pieces in total and add them to the wine mixture.

Add the peeled pears, making sure they are covered by the wine, if not then add a little water.  Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 30 minutes. How long it takes may vary depending on the ripeness of the pear.  You can test if they are ready with a cocktail stick, It will easily insert into the middle when they are done.  When the pears feel ready take them out and set aside (at this point they could be cooled and refrigerated for a later date). Bring the wine mixture back to a boil and reduce by about two thirds.  Careful not to reduce too much or the mixture will go too syrupy when cooled.

When ready to serve you can either place the pears whole in a bowl or martini glass or slice and fan on a plate as seen above. Drizzle with the warm sauce and sprinkle with some gorgonzola and walnuts. Decorate with Thyme Sprigs and the Cinnamon Sticks and Vanilla Pods from the Sauce.

Other Ideas – you could also use this for a lunch idea.  Poach the pears the same way, cool, refrigerate and when ready to use slice the pears and add to a salad with gorgonzola and walnuts. Reduce the red wine sauce further into a syrup and use as a sweet glaze/drizzle for the salad