Nothing says fall quite like pears! This season, why not try these spiced red wine stewed pears with a dollop of mascarpone cream?
There are few things that can make the fall and winter months more bearable than a nice warm bowl of comforting fruit. And these Spiced Red Wine Stewed Pears are the perfect dessert!
Pears have a naturally sweet taste, but also a slightly spiced flavor. On top of that, they’re extremely juicy and soft which makes them perfect for stewing with red wine and spices.
Infused with warm flavors of cinnamon, cloves, and allspice and topped with a scoop of rich mascarpone cream, these red wine stewed pears make for an elegant dessert that's super easy to make at home!
This decadent and richly spiced fall and winter treat is perfect for sharing with loved ones or as a romantic treat for two! These stewed pears are sure to warm everyone up on a cold day!
Ingredients and Variations
Pears - Choose any pear that is available to you, as long as its unripe. Some good options are Bosc pears, Conference pears, Asian pears, and Anjou pears.
Choose firm pears if possible and avoid overripe pears or Bartlett pears as these will turn mushy when simmered.
Sugar - Light brown or brown sugar works best for these poached pears.
Spices - For this recipe, I used cinnamon sticks, allspice, and whole cloves. You can also add other spices such as star anise, vanilla pod, or grated orange zest.
Red Wine - A good red wine such as Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon works great here.
It doesn't need to be the most expensive wine, since we will be infusing sugar and spices in it, which will enhance its flavour.
For the Mascarpone Walnut Cream, you will need mascarpone cheese, heavy cream (whipping cream), crushed walnuts, and ground cinnamon for dusting.
How to Make Spiced Red Wine Stewed Pears
Preparation
Prepare a saucepan large enough to fit the pears, but small enough for the pears to be soaked under the liquid mixture.
Bring red wine, cinnamon sticks, allspice, cloves, and brown sugar to a simmer and stir until sugar is dissolved.
Poach the Pears
Once the mixture is simmering, wash and peel the pears (you don't need to slice them). Do not peel the pears too early, or they will get discoloured. Only peel them right before adding them to the mixture.
Place the pears in the red wine mixture and bring to a slow simmer. Poach for 20-30 minutes or until soft. The time required depends on the size of the pears and the state of ripeness.
Turn the pears frequently to make sure they are evenly cooked and soaked in the mixture.
Once cooked, remove the mixture and fruit from heat and let them cool in the liquid. These stewed pears are best served chilled. You can refrigerate them in their liquid until ready to serve.
Prepare Mascarpone Walnut Cream
In the meantime, prepare the mascarpone cream if using.
Place heavy cream in a medium sized bowl and whisk until stiff peaks form. Whisk in the mascarpone and mix until just combined. Do not overmix or the mixture will turn grainy.
Store the mascarpone cream mixture in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Serve
Before serving, simmer some of the leftover spiced red wine mixture until reduced to syrup.
Serve cooled pears in syrup and a dollop of mascarpone cream. Dust with ground cinnamon and top with crushed walnuts.
How to Serve
Serve these Spiced Red Wine Stewed Pears as a dessert or sweet treat. The pears are best served chilled with spiced red wine syrup.
You can serve these with a dollop of mascarpone cream or vanilla ice cream. Top with crushed nuts, such as walnuts, and a dusting of cinnamon, as desired.
Making Ahead and Storing
These stewed pears are perfect for making ahead since they require cooling time if served cold.
You can stew the pears up to 2 days ahead, cover, and refrigerate until read to serve.
The mascarpone cream can be made ahead and stored overnight in a refrigerator (covered).
Store leftovers in a refrigerator (covered) for up to 2 days.
FAQs
Ideally, you should avoid overripe pears because they will become too soft and mushy when simmered.
If you must use overripe pears, you will need to poach/stew them for less time.
Other Pear Recipes
Spiced Red Wine Stewed Pears
Ingredients
Red Wine Stewed Pears
- 4 medium-sized conference pears peeled
- 100 g brown sugar (½ cup)
- 4 whole cloves
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- ¼ tsp. allspice
- 1 bottle red wine e.g., Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon
Mascarpone Walnut Cream
- 180 g mascarpone (1 cup)
- 160 mL heavy cream (¾ cup)
- crushed walnuts
- ground cinnamon optional
Instructions
- Place red wine, brown sugar, whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, and allspice in a medium-sized saucepan, large enough to fit the pears. Bring to a simmer and stir until sugar is dissolved.
- Once the wine mixture is simmering, wash and peel pears. Place in saucepan with wine mixture.
- Decrease heat to medium and poach for 20-30 minutes or until soft, turning frequently to stew evenly on all sides.
- Once cooked, remove from heat and allow the pears cool down in liquid mixture. You can transfer to a refrigerator to speed up the process.
- To make the mascarpone cream, place heavy cream in a medium-sized bowl and whisk (using a handheld electric whisk) until stiff peaks form. Whisk in mascarpone cheese until just combined.
- Before serving, simmer the remaining liquid in a small saucepan until slightly thickened. Remove cinnamon sticks before serving.
- Serve cooled stewed pears with red wine syrup, mascarpone cream, crushed walnuts, and a dusting of ground cinnamon.
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