"Once in a young lifetime one should be allowed to have as much sweetness as one can possibly want and hold." ~Judith Olney
Well not in this case! It had nothing too sweet, creamy and neither it was crammed with calories. But it sure was rich in flavor!
I love desserts that are somewhat different from the usual and don't make you feel too heavy. After all, the dessert is something you finish your whole meal with and the taste stays with you long after the memories of starters and main courses are gone.
Another upside to making such a dessert is being able to pull it off even with surprise guests - improvise with some of the ingredients and poach them in almost anything, as long as you have some pears resting in your fruit basket!
Ingredients:
* 4 pears
* Apple cider
* Apple juice
* Fresh raspberries
* Fresh mint leaves
* Cinnamon stick
* 1 teaspoon (per 4 pears) ground ginger
* 4 teaspoons sugar
While pears are being cooked, mash raspberries with a fork. Chop mint leaves very finely and add to mashed berries. Add sugar and mix until it dissolves. Using a mesh strain berries from their seeds. The sauce is ready.
* 4 pears
* Apple cider
* Apple juice
* Fresh raspberries
* Fresh mint leaves
* Cinnamon stick
* 1 teaspoon (per 4 pears) ground ginger
* 4 teaspoons sugar
Peel the pears. Leaving the stem on makes for a beautiful presentation.
In the meantime heat apple cider. Make sure you have enough to cover pears in liquid. I also added a bit of apple juice. That can be skipped though as long as there's enough cider. Add the cinnamon stick and ginger and bring to boil. Get the pears in and cook them until tender - about 20 minutes for medium sized fruit.
While pears are being cooked, mash raspberries with a fork. Chop mint leaves very finely and add to mashed berries. Add sugar and mix until it dissolves. Using a mesh strain berries from their seeds. The sauce is ready.
Once the pears are cooked, take them out of the liquid and let cool a bit. Et voila! Plate. Pour over the raspberry - mint sauce.
We tried several drinks with dessert - a wild strawberry liquor and then dry sherry. Sherry won this contest!
So nice to have people tasting the food and sharing ideas what else may work with it. We voted that ice cream would work very well with it. Or even some dark chocolate sprinkles while pears are still warm to melt it.
Bon appétit!
