Slow Cooker Dessert: Spiced Poached Pears Recipe

We all love slow cookers. It’s set-it and forget-it feature makes it every cook’s best friend when it comes to preparing meals. These same qualities make it a dessert lover’s friend too. Yes, it’s true, you can make scrumptious sweet course in your crock pot. If you haven’t tried a slow cooker dessert yet, consider giving this spiced poached pears recipe a shot. You won’t be disappointed.

Slow Cooker Dessert: Spiced Poached Pears

Image via: Tartelette Blog

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Total time: Preparation 25 minutes + Cooking 4 hours

Yields: 8 servings

Ingredients

1 and half cups cranberry juice or dry red wine

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons dried cherries

1 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1 whole star anise

1 dried Sichuan pepper, optional

4 ripe pears

Ganache Ingredients  

4 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate

¼ cup heavy whipping cream

Toppings

2 tablespoons pine nuts

Fresh blackberries

Sweetened whipped cream or ice cream, optional

Procedure

Image via: Great British Chefs

1. In a 3-qt slow cooker, mix wine, cherries, brown sugar, cinnamon, star anise, and if desired Sichuan pepper until blended. Peel and cut peers lengthwise in half. Remove cores and leave a small hole in the center of each. Arrange pears in wine mixture.
2. Cook, covered on low heat for 4-5 hours or until pears are almost tender. Discard Sichuan pepper and star anise.
3. In a small bowl put chocolate. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate and stir with a whisk until smooth.
4. To serve, put pears on dessert dishes; drizzle with some of the poaching liquid. Spoon ganache into pear holes. Top with pine nuts and blackberries. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired.

While we love this slow cooker dessert recipe for reasons more than one, we are happy with the fact that it is on the healthier side, is easy to make, and can be mostly prepared well in advance. And of course, who can overlook the presentation which is lovely!

For more dessert recipes on Stagetecture, click here.