Slow Cooker Dessert: Spiced Poached Pears

Image via: Tartelette Blog

[ad#co-3]

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.

Spring Dessert: Apricot and Pear Cake

Image via: Prima

[ad#co-3]

Total time: 30 minutes preparation +1 hour cooking

Yields: 10 servings

Ingredients

2 juiced oranges

1 cup whole dried apricots, roughly chopped

1 cup caster sugar

1 cup olive oil

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

2 cups plain flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 peeled pears, cored removed and diced

2 tablespoons pure icing sugar

Procedure

Image via: Magnolia Days

1. Over medium heat in a saucepan, heat ½ cup orange juice and apricots until warm. Remove and let it stand for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 160 degree Celsius. Grease a 22 cm springform cake pan and line base and sides with baking paper.
3. In a large bowl, beat sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla essence until thick using an electric mixer.
4. Sift flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, and bicarbonate of soda over the above mixture. Add apricot mixture and pear. Stir well until combined. Spoon mixture onto the pan. Smooth the top.
5. Bake cake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow it to cool for 5 minutes in the pan before releasing the sides to cool completely.
6. Dust cake with icing sugar and serve.

Tip: Cook the pears gently so that they don’t break up and adjust the cooking time according to their ripeness.

This aromatic spring dessert recipe gives tea time a lift with its fruity flavor and lighter sponge. Very easy to bake, it makes for a visually appealing centerpiece when entertaining.

For more cake recipes on Stagetecture, click here.