Floral Poached Pears with Mascarpone Cream

Delight in the subtle explosion of these delicate flavours - these poached pears are infused with florals and spices. Easy to make ahead of time; store in its syrup in the fridge and simply slightly warm up before serving. I find them tasting best lukewarm, not hot or cold. The ingredients for the syrup don’t have to be exact so don’t fret if you don’t have the exact amounts at the ready, I usually do it by ear.

Ingredients

4 Anjou Pears
1 cup Rosewater
1 cup White Wine
2 cups Sugar of choice
6 Cardamom Pods
1 Lemon (Juice & Zest)
1 Orange (Juice & Zest)
Water

250 ml Heavy Cream
Sugar
100g Mascarpone
a handful of Pistachios, Chopped

Halve the pears, peel and core (I like to leave the little stem on because it looks cute).

Add all other ingredients into a medium sized pot and heat up. Stir occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Once dissolved add in the pears and add enough water to make sure the pears are covered (they will float a little so you will have to turn them over two or three times during cooking).

Bring to a boil, then turn down the fire to a low heat and simmer for 45-60 minutes. They are ready when a fork melts through them without picking it up.

To make the mascarpone cream, make sure the mascarpone is at room temperature. Beat the heavy cream with a mixer on high speed. Slowly add in a little sugar to taste and keep beating until stiff peaks form. Right when it starts forming those peaks, gently stir in the mascarpone and beat it a few more seconds with the mixer until incorporated.

Serve lukewarm with a big dollop of mascarpone cream and a garnish of chopped pistachios and a little drizzle of its syrup. And if you want to make it that little extra, add a small slice of Tarta de Santiago too!