Honey Vanilla Poached Pears

A fresh piece of fruit can make for the most simple, satisfying dessert, but fruit is sometimes overlooked in winter. This recipe is a great way to take advantage of fruit year round. Simmering pears in vanilla honey syrup will warm your kitchen and delight your taste buds. This recipe comes to us from Laura Sampson of Little House Big Alaska.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 vanilla bean
• 4 ripe D’Anjou pears

Equipment note: A 9 inch x 4 inch deep saucepan is recommended to poach small D’Anjou pears. If you’re using larger pears, make sure the saucepan is wide enough to fit all four pears and deep enough to cover the pears in 4 cups water.

Directions:

Bring 4 cups of water and the honey to a boil in a small, deep saucepan over medium-high heat. Turn heat down to medium-low.

Split the vanilla bean down the center lengthwise using a paring knife or spoon. Scrape the out the vanilla bean seeds and stir into the honey water mixture along with the scraped pod.

Add the pears to the pot. Simmer the pears for about 10 minutes, or until they become soft, but not mushy. Transfer the pears to 4 bowls.

Increase heat to medium high and cook the syrup for 10-15 minutes, or until the syrup has reduced and thickened. Pour the syrup over each pear.