Mulled Pears Recipes

Steps:

• Put the pears in a pan large enough to fit them in a single layer on the base. Pour over the wine and 300ml water, sprinkle over the sugar, then add the cinnamon stick. Put a small saucepan lid on top so the pears stay submerged under the liquid, then simmer for 10 mins until tender, but not mushy. Cool in the liquid, then chill until ready to eat. Can be made the previous day.
• Make the dressings. First, mix the vinegar and oil with seasoning in a bowl. Make the Roquefort dressing by slowly warming the cheese in a pan with the crème fraîche.
• Toast the pecans in a dry pan, then set aside. Take the pears from their poaching liquid, slice them three-quarters of the way up from the base toward the stalk end, then fan out on plates. Toss the watercress in the vinegar and oil dressing, pile onto the plates, then sprinkle over the nuts. Pour the warm Roquefort dressing around the pears or serve in shot glasses or mini jugs on the plates for guests to pour themselves.

Steps:

• Using vegetable peeler, remove peel (orange part only) from orange, forming long spiral strip. Transfer peel to heavy large pot. Halve orange; squeeze juice into pot. Add next 5 ingredients. Boil over high heat 3 minutes. Add pears, reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer until pears are tender, turning pears occasionally, about 45 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pears to large bowl. Simmer liquid uncovered in pot until reduced to 4 cups, about 10 minutes. Pour liquid over pears; cool. Chill until cold, at least 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.)
• Place 1 pear in each of 6 shallow bowls. Pour liquid over pears and serve.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan set over medium-high heat, add the wine, 5 ounces of the honey, the cloves, chiles, cinnamon, star anise and vanilla seeds, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and add the pears. Submerge the pears fully by placing a plate small enough to fit in the pan, over the pears. Cook until tender, 20 to 22 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Refrigerate the pears in the cooking liquid until cool, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, combine the remaining 5 tablespoons honey, the cream cheese and lemon zest in a bowl, and beat with an electric hand mixer until smooth.
• Place 1 ounce of the cream cheese mixture on each plate, then top each with 2 pieces of pear, and sprinkle almonds over the top to serve.

Steps:

• 1. Fill a large, heavy pot with apple juice. Tie the cinnamon sticks, ginger, and cloves together in a cheesecloth bag with kitchen string and add to the juice. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer 15 minutes, partially covered, to infuse flavors.
• 2. Meanwhile, squeeze the lemon into a large bowl and fill with water. Core the apples and pears from the bottom and peel them. Drop immediately into the lemon water (to prevent browning) until poaching time.
• 3. Carefully add apples to the boiling poaching liquid, reduce heat, and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove to a bowl. Add the pears to the liquid and poach until tender, about 8 minutes. Remove to a bowl.
• 4. Cool the poaching liquid to room temperature and discard spice bag. Return fruit to the liquid and refrigerate overnight.
• 5. To serve, place the fruit, stem-ends up, on a cake stand or platter. Strain some of the liquid over the fruit.

Steps:

• Put the wine, pears and sugar in a pan and simmer for 10 mins.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C/gas 3. Draw a 25cm circle on a sheet of baking parchment, then put on a baking sheet. Stir 225g sugar and cornflour together in a jug. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then whisk in the sugar mixture, a tbsp at a time, until thick and glossy.
• Fold in vinegar and half the nuts, then pile mixture onto the circle, building up the edges to make a 'nest'. Scatter with rest of pecans then put in oven, turning the temperature down to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2. Bake for 1 hr, then turn oven off and cool inside for 1 hr.

Steps:

• Put all the ingredients except the pears in a large pan and cover with a tight- fitting lid. Cook on a low heat for 1 hr, then stir through the pears. Cover and cook for 1 hr more until the cabbage is really tender. If at any point the cabbage looks dry, add a splash of water. If there is still liquid in the pan at the end, turn the heat right up to evaporate it. Season with a little salt and serve. The cabbage can be prepared ahead and either chilled or frozen. Then reheat in the pan or in a microwave.

Steps:

• Halve the vanilla pod lengthways, scrape out the black seeds and put in a large saucepan with the wine, sugar, cinnamon and thyme. Cut each piece of pod into three long thin strips, add to pan, then lower in the pears.
• Poach the pears, covered, for 20-30 mins, making sure they are covered in the wine. The cooking time will very much depend on the ripeness of your pears - they should be tender all the way through when pierced with a cocktail stick. You can make these up to 2 days ahead and chill.
• Take the pears from the pan, then boil the liquid to reduce it by half so that it's syrupy. Serve each pear with the cooled syrup, a strip of vanilla, a piece of cinnamon and a small thyme sprig.