Poached pears in white wine are the perfect addition to any holiday menu.
I don’t know what it is about pears, but they always make a dessert more ‘fancy’. It didn’t take long for me to decide what to do with a carton of pears that Kyle was gifted. I was going to poach them for a dessert! Here is an easy poached pears in white wine with toffee dessert, perfect for all.
‘Partridge in a pear tree.’
This song will never get old during the Christmas holiday.
On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree.
Not sure if it is this verse that has me thinking all about pears while I prepare a Christmas menu, but here I am with a poached pear recipe. This one is great for prepping a head as well as more than easy! I prepped the pears the day before, and then finished it all up the next morning. It was ready to go by lunch.
This dessert was even a hit with my kids. I would say that’s a plus! If you aren’t a fan of toffee, you can opt for gingersnaps for another festive twist. Another thing to note about this recipe is that I used cooking white wine because it is what I had on hand. You can go with Chardonnay or another white dry wine to give it more flavor. The cooking white wine is good, but it doesn’t add as much flavor as a good white wine would bring.
Now for the recipe!
Poached Pears in White Wine with Toffee Dessert
With the holidays, having a dessert that not only offers a pretty presentation but also ample of make-ahead opportunities is a must. This poached pear in white wine with toffee parfait dessert is perfect for the holidays!
Ingredients
- 6 large ripe pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1" cubes
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups Chardonnay or other dry white wine; or cooking white wine
- 1 (3") cinnamon stick
- 1/8 ground cloves
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 (4.6 oz) package vanilla-flavored cook-and-serve pudding mix
- 3 cups milk
- 1 1/2 heavy cream
- 3 tbsp. sugar
- 1 cup chopped up toffee bars (or a 1-1lb package of gingersnaps)
Instructions
- Place the pears and the next 5 ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 14 minutes or until pearls are tender. Remove from heat. With a slotted spoon, transfer the peaches to a medium bowl. Reserve the pear syrup and remove the cinnamon stick (toss). Cover both and chill for at least 8 hours.
- Prepare the pudding mix according to the package directions. Chill until set and ready to assemble parfaits.
- Prepare the whipped cream. Beat cream and 3 tbsp of sugar in a medium bowl at high speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
- After the 8 hour chilling period, assemble the parfaits. In parfait glasses, arrange the toffee pieces (or gingersnaps) at the bottom of the parfait glass. Drizzle a little of the pear syrup onto the toffee pieces followed by layering with a little of the pears, then vanilla pudding, and lastily with the whipped cream. Repeat layers and chill for 3 to 8 hours.
- Enjoy!
Holidays are for enjoying time with family and those holiday desserts.
I am all for the holiday desserts, whether it is making them myself or eating them. Don’t you love enjoying desserts during Christmas? If so, then you have got to give this poached pears in white wine with toffee dessert a try!
More holiday desserts: https://www.thesproutingminds.com/christmas-peanut-butter-balls/ https://www.thesproutingminds.com/christmas-charcuterie-board-cookie-style/ https://www.thesproutingminds.com/no-bake-chocolate-oatmeal-cookies/
Happy Holidays!
