Pears in Red wine

JustJanS's Note:

One of the few desserts my husband will make if we are having guests for dinner. The Creme de Cassis really makes the dish, and is lovely in Champagne Cocktails too!

• Total Time: 1 hrs 5 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 1 bottle red wine
• 150 g sugar
• 4 cloves
• 2 black peppercorns
• 1 vanilla pod (I just put in about 1 teaspoon vanilla essence)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 orange rind , strip (no pith)
• 6 large pears , not quite ripe
• 3 tablespoons creme de cassis (a blackcurrant liqueuer which I like to include. Maybe you could buy a miniature bottle)
• 2 pieces crystallized ginger , cut, into, julienne, shreds
• heavy cream or creme fraiche

Directions:

1. Empty the wine into a stainless steel saucepan with the sugar, cloves peppercorns, vanilla pod, cinnamon stick and orange peel.
2. Bring the contents to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
3. Remove the pan from the heat, and cover it while you attend to the pears.
4. Use a small knife to cut out the end of the core.
5. I like to remove as much of the core as I can to allow the syrup to penetrate inside.
6. Peel the pear carefully, leaving the stem intact.
7. Stand the pears in a snug fitting saucepan and pour the wine syrup over them to submerge.
8. Simmer gently for 15-20 minutes.
9. Remove and stand them upright.
10. Add the creme de cassis to the pan and the ginger.
11. Simmer until reduced by about 1/3 and the mixture is syrupy.
12. Pour this syrup over the pears, and chill before serving with the cream or creme fraiche.