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With the natural sweetness from the pears paired with the flavored syrup, this poached pears recipe creates an elegant dessert for any time of year.
Table of Contents
Easy poached pears
Poached pears are a classic French dessert made with the classic technique of gently cooking ripe pears in a flavorful liquid until they turn tender and soak up the flavors. This process creates a sweet and thick syrup in the pears. The liquid usually includes ingredients like wine, sugar, and spices, giving the pears a rich taste.
For this easy recipe, I decided to take poached pears a step further by adding extra elements like pecan baklava and blue cheese fondant. These elements, combined with the poached pears, create a mouthwatering dessert bursting with tons of complementary flavors.
The warm spices from the baklava paired with the tanginess from the blue cheese fondant and the sweetness from the poached pears are just what you need for your next dinner party.
The best part about this recipe is that you don’t have to include the baklava or blue cheese fondant if you don’t want to. You can make each recipe separately or together. It’s all up to you.
Riesling Poached Pears with Pecan Baklava
Ingredients
Pecan Baklava
- 2 1/2 cups pecans
- 3 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 pound thawed phyllo dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Riesling Poached Pears
- 6 ripe firm pears
- 1/2 bottle dry Riesling
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
Bleu Cheese Fondant
- 1 cup Bleu Cheese Crumbles
- 1/2 cup Light Karo Syrup
- 1 tbls Granulated Sugar
- pinch Black Pepper
Instructions
Pecan Baklava
- Preheat: Preheat the oven to 320 degrees.
- Pulse: In a food processor add in pecans and 3 teaspoons cinnamon. Pulse until finely diced. Divide into thirds.
- Unroll: Unroll phyllo dough and trim the sides so it will fit in a 9×13 pan.
- Brush: Brush the bottom of your pan with melted butter.
- Lay: Lay a sheet of phyllo dough on the bottom.
- Brush: Brush the top with melted butter and top with another sheet of dough. Repeat this process with a total of 10 phyllo dough sheets.
- Sprinkle: Sprinkle on 1/3 of your nut mixture.
- Top: Top with a sheet of phyllo, brush with butter and continue that process for at least 6 sheets.
- Top: Top with another 1/3 of your nut mixture. Repeat the process of laying 6 sheets of dough, brushing each with melted butter.
- Sprinkle: Sprinkle with the remaining nuts.
- Layer: Layer with phyllo dough and continue alternating with melted butter and sheets of phyllo for about 10 sheets.
- Combine: In a medium bowl or pitcher, combine the maple syrup, water, sugar and cinnamon.
- Pour: Pour evenly over the top layer.
- Bake: Bake at 320 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until it starts to get golden on top. Remove from oven to cool.
- Slice: Slice into squares. (Save the pan. You’ll want the syrup)
Riesling Poached Pears
- Peel: Peel pears, leaving stems attached, core them from the bottom, using a small melon baller to scoop out seeds.
- Place: Place pears in pot along with wine, brown sugar and enough water to just cover pears (4 to 6 cups).
- Scrape: Scrape vanilla bean seeds into pan; drop in pod.
- Boil: Bring to a boil, then reduce heat; simmer, turning pears occasionally, to coat with liquid, until very tender but not falling apart, 10 to 15 minutes, depending on ripeness and size of pears.
- Transfer: Use a slotted spoon to transfer pears to a large bowl. Remove and discard vanilla bean pod.
- Boil: Bring poaching liquid to a boil and cook until reduced to a thin syrup consistency, about 10 minutes.
- Pour: Pour syrup over pears; let cool completely.
- Refrigerate: Refrigerate, until cool.
Bleu Cheese Fondant
- Combine: Combine all ingredients in a bowl, whip until creamy, shiny and smooth.
- Refrigerate: Refrigerate and reserve for plating.
Assembly
- Place: Place a warm or room temperature square of baklava onto a dessert plate.
- Cut: Cut the pears in half.
- Fill: Fill the center of a chilled pear with the cool bleu cheese fondant.
- Set: Set the cheese-filled pear over the square of baklava.
- Drizzle: Drizzle the baklava pan drippings over the pear and cheese, for balanced sweetness.
- Add: You can add fresh whipped heavy cream, sweet or un-sweet, based on your preference.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients for poached pears
Pecan Baklava
- Pecans: Provide a rich, nutty flavor and crunchy texture.
- Ground cinnamon: Adds warmth and enhances the overall spiced profile.
- Phyllo dough: Delicate layers that become flaky and crisp when baked, forming the baklava’s structure.
- Unsalted butter: Creates a buttery richness, helping the layers adhere and promoting a golden brown crust.
- Maple syrup: Sweetens the baklava with a distinct flavor, complementing the nuttiness.
- Water
- Sugar: Sweetens both the baklava layers and the syrup.
Riesling Poached Pears
- Ripe, firm whole pears: Look for firmer pears. We don’t want overripe pears as they won’t hold up well when poached.
- Dry Riesling: Infuses the pears with a delicate wine flavor, adding depth to their taste.
- Packed light brown sugar: Sweetens the poaching liquid and enhances the overall sweetness of the pears.
- Vanilla bean: Imparts a rich, aromatic vanilla flavor to the poaching liquid.
Bleu Cheese Fondant
- Bleu Cheese Crumbles: Add a bold, tangy, and savory flavor to the fondant.
- Light Karo Syrup: Acts as a sweetener, providing a syrupy consistency to the fondant.
- Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps balance the strong flavor of the blue cheese.
- Black Pepper
Substitutions: Instead of Riesling, you can use any type of red wine or white wine you like. If you don’t have vanilla bean, you can use vanilla extract instead.
See the full recipe card for servings and a full list of ingredients.
How to make this poached pear recipe
Pecan Baklava
- Preheat: Preheat the oven to 320F.
- Pulse: In a food processor, add pecans and 3 teaspoons of cinnamon. Pulse until finely diced. Divide into thirds.
- Unroll: Unroll phyllo dough and trim the sides so it will fit in a 9×13 pan.
- Brush: Brush the bottom of your pan with melted butter.
- Lay: Lay a sheet of phyllo dough on the bottom.
- Brush: Brush the top with melted butter and top with another sheet of dough. Repeat this process with a total of 10 phyllo dough sheets.
- Sprinkle: Sprinkle on 1/3 of your nut mixture.
- Top: Top with a sheet of phyllo, brush with butter and continue that process for at least 6 sheets.
- Top: Top with another 1/3 of your nut mixture. Repeat the process of laying 6 sheets of dough, brushing each with melted butter.
- Sprinkle: Sprinkle with the remaining nuts.
- Layer: Layer with phyllo dough and continue alternating with melted butter and sheets of phyllo for about 10 sheets.
- Combine: In a medium bowl or pitcher, combine the maple syrup, water, sugar and cinnamon.
- Pour: Pour evenly over the top layer.
- Bake: Bake at 320 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until it starts to get golden on top. Remove from oven to cool.
- Slice: Slice into squares. (Save the pan. You’ll want the syrup).
Riesling Poached Pears
- Peel: Peel pears using a vegetable peeler, leaving stems attached, core them from the bottom, using a small melon baller to scoop out seeds.
- Place: Place pears in the pot along with wine, brown sugar and enough water to just cover the pears (4 to 6 cups).
- Scrape: Scrape vanilla bean seeds into the pan; drop in the pod.
- Boil: Bring to a boil, then reduce heat; simmer, turning pears occasionally, to coat with liquid, until very tender but not falling apart, 10 to 15 minutes, depending on ripeness and size of pears. We want the flavors of the poaching liquid to penetrate the pears completely.
- Transfer: Use a slotted spoon to transfer pears to a large bowl. Remove and discard the vanilla bean pod.
- Boil: Bring poaching liquid to a boil and cook until reduced to a thin syrup consistency, about 10 minutes.
- Pour: Pour syrup over the top of the pears; let cool completely.
- Refrigerate: Refrigerate until cool.
Blue Cheese Fondant
- Combine: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whip until creamy, shiny and smooth.
- Refrigerate: Refrigerate and reserve for plating.
Assembly
- Place: Place a warm or room temperature square of baklava onto a dessert plate.
- Cut: Cut the pears in half.
- Fill: Fill the pear halves with the cool bleu cheese fondant.
- Set: Set the cheese-filled pear over the square of baklava.
- Drizzle: Drizzle the baklava pan drippings over the juicy pear and cheese for balanced sweetness.
- Add: You can add fresh whipped heavy cream, sweet or un-sweet, based on your personal preference.
How to serve poached pears
These delicious poached pears are perfect for serving on special occasions. Once poached to perfection, serve the blue cheese-filled pears with a piece of baklava and a scoop of vanilla ice cream to complement their sweet and tender flavor.
Storage
Leftover poached pears can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 week. Leftover baklava can last up to 2 weeks on the counter in a sealed container. Leftover blue cheese fondant can last up to 5 days in an airtight container.
Poached pears can be frozen for up to 3 months and baklava for up to 4 months. I recommend only making the blue cheese fondant as needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
For the baklava:
1 medium bowl for the butter
1 pastry brush
9×13 pan
1 medium bowl or pitcher for the syrup
For the pears:
1 large stockpot
1 slotted spoon
1 large bowl
For the fondant:
1 medium bowl
1 whisk or hand mixer
For the assembly:
12 dessert plates
12 forks
Use any kind of pears you like. Some good options are Bosc pears, Bartlett pears and Anjou pears.
The poaching process takes less than 30 minutes.
Yes. Poached pears can last up to 1 week in the fridge, making them the perfect make-ahead dessert.
Reheat the poached pears in the microwave for 10-20 seconds until warm. Baste some of the syrup on top to soak into the pears.
To reheat the baklava, place it in the microwave for at least 10 seconds until warm.
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Below is the pre-show prep. Note: you won’t want to prep your pears too far in advance because they’ll brown.
Christie!! So exciting, and I’m telling you, kiddo, these photos and your preparation here is outstanding!! Hope I can be there to see you and Benny boy!! xo
Thanks so much Ally!
You did a terrific job on this post!! Baklava looks divine 🙂
I’m going to see if I can ‘attend’ with you and Ben!
Thanks Heather!
I’m not a an of bleu cheese. Any other kind I can substitute?
You bet. You can use goat cheese or cream cheese.