Red Wine Poached Pears

Poached pear sliced in half in bowl with Mascarpone Whipped Cream.

4.80 from 30 votes

Red Wine Poached Pears with Vanilla Mascarpone Whipped Cream is a sexy holiday dessert that will have everyone talking! With silky pears, a lush sauce, and rich mascarpone cream, it’s the kind of restaurant-worthy finale that feels luxurious but is surprisingly simple to pull off.

Prep Time20

Cook Time35

Total Time55

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: French

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings:

Author: Carol | From A Chef's Kitchen

Equipment

Ingredients

Pears

3 cups (1 750 ml bottle) dry red wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 long strip orange peel approximately 1-inch by 4-inch
1 large orange juiced (about 1/2 cup)
1 cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves
4 firm, ripe Bosc pears

Whipped Cream

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Pears

In a small saucepan, combine the red wine, sugar, orange peel, orange juice, cinnamon stick, and cloves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Peel the pears carefully, leaving the stems intact and taking care not to bruise them.
Place the pears in the simmering liquid. Reduce the heat to low and gently simmer for 20–30 minutes, depending on size, turning them every 5 minutes with a slotted spoon to ensure even coloring. Pears should be tender but still hold their shape.
Remove from the heat and cool at room temperature in the poaching liquid, turning occasionally for even color.
Once at room temperature, refrigerate the pears in the poaching liquid for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours, again turning occasionally for even color.
When ready to serve, remove the pears and place them in a bowl or on a plate to come to room temperature.
Strain the poaching liquid back into the saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until reduced by at least half. The sauce should be slightly syrupy. Cool to room temperature.

Mascarpone Whipped Cream

In a small, deep bowl, combine the cream, mascarpone, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Beat with a mixer until thick, smooth, and medium-firm peaks form, 3-4 minutes.

To Serve:

Arrange the pears on serving plates, either standing up or halved, lying horizontally. Spoon or drizzle the reduced red wine syrup over the pears.
Serve with a generous dollop of Vanilla Mascarpone Whipped Cream.

Notes

Recipe from 2015 updated and retested.

SUBSTITUTIONS:

NON-ALCOHOLIC SUBSTITUTE: If you want to make a non-alcoholic version of these pears, use 3 cups of pomegranate or cranberry juice and adjust the sugar accordingly. You may also need to adjust the acidity; you can do so with lemon juice.

TIPS:

Peel the pears in long, even strokes with a vegetable peeler to keep the surface smooth and avoid bruising.
If serving the pears upright, check that they stand before cooking; trim the bottoms slightly if needed.
Turn the pears regularly while poaching and cooling to ensure even cooking and uniform ruby-red color.
Serve with vanilla mascarpone whipped cream, or warm the pears in their poaching liquid and pair with vanilla ice cream for an easier option.
Provide both a fork and a spoon—your guests will need the fork for stability and the spoon for enjoying the pear and syrup.
If serving whole, let guests know there are seeds inside. If serving halved, scoop out the core neatly with a spoon or melon baller.

MAKE AHEAD:

Cool at room temperature, turning occasionally to ensure even color.
When the pears have cooled to room temperature, refrigerate in the liquid for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours, turning occasionally to maintain even color.

Nutrition