Star-Latté Spiced Pears

These spiced poached pears in apple juice are an indulgent dessert, with the sweetness of the pears combining so perfectly with the hints of Turmerichai Star-Latté spice. Easy to make, they are made with spiced apple juice for the syrup, which makes them feel like such a treat. A vegan and gluten-free dessert.

The Star-Latté spices – cardomom, cinnamon, ginger and star-anise are deeply aromatic and these poached pears get so much flavour from this delicious blend. Just a tiny pinch can transform both sweet and savoury dishes.

Serve with a little coconut yoghourt or ice-cream if that works for you!

WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS RECIPE

·       Decadent. The combination of the sweet apple juice and spices feels quite special.

·       No alcohol. The pears are poached in apple juice rather than wine, which means they are alcohol-free and suitable for adults and kids alike.

·       Easy to make. It's a very simple recipe, with just a few steps.

INGREDIENTS

You need minimal ingredients for this recipe, and aside from the pears most are pantry staples:

·       Pears: we always use conference pears, but any type should work well as long as they are ripe.

·       Apple juice: used to poach the pears, in place of wine or other alcohol in many recipes.

·       Ginger: we use a piece of fresh ginger, but a touch of ginger powder will also work (it's pungent as powder so only use a little!).

·       Turmerichai Star-Latté: the perfect blend of spices with cardomom, star-anise, ginger and cinnamon.

·       Pistachios: be sure to use unsalted for this recipe!

WHICH PEARS TO USE?

Any pears would work well with this recipe, but we always use conference pears.

For poached pears you need to use ripe pears, but avoid using overripe ones as they can turn a bit too mushy after being poached in the apple juice.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Making these poached pears in apple juice is very simple, and requires just a few steps. Of course, be careful with the syrup as it gets very hot, so use tongs not fingers to remove the pears and the ginger from the pan when serving.

Step 1

Peel the pears, but keep the stalk (if they have them) as it looks quite pretty for presentation. Don't worry if you can't fully peel at their tops and bottoms.

Step 2

Add the peeled pears to a large saucepan with the apple juice, the fresh ginger and the Star-Latté powder. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a light simmer. Cook for 15 minutes.

Step 3

Remove the pears from the pan and set aside on a plate. 

Increase the heat of the apple juice mixture so that is on a low boil. Leave to boil for around 15 minutes so that it reduces into a syrup. The longer you leave the juice to boil, the thicker the syrup will be.

To serve, remove the ginger piece from the syrup (use a spoon or tongs, not fingers!) and then pour over the plated pears.

Recipe inspiration and image copywright: www.throughthefibrofog.com