Saffron Poached Pear with Lemon Cream!!

Poached Pears are a classic French dessert. It’s such a simple dessert, yet delightfully flavorful and very elegant and impressive. These French Poached pears are usually poached in wine and they have a great balance of sweet, spice and fruity flavors, and the deep red color makes it look really vibrant. Here is my take on this simple and classic French dessert, with Saffron and cardamom.

A simple yet decadent and elegant dessert – these Saffron and Cardamom Poached Pears enhance the natural sweetness of the fruit with delicious saffron flavour and cardamom and cinnamon. These can be served with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an impressive dessert.

Ingredients

For Poached Pears

2 sweet pears peeled with stalks left on

3-4 green cardamom pods

1/4 tsp saffron strands

1 inch stick of cinnamon

3 cups water

1/2 cup sugar

2-3 drops of vanilla extract

For Lemon Flavoured Cream

1/2 cup heavy cream

2-3 drops vanilla extract

1 lemon juice and rind

1 tbsp powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Heat water in a medium-sized pan and add crushed cardamom, saffron, cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla. Once the mixture begins to boil, gently place the whole pears into the pan. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer the pears for about 30-45 minutes or until they are tender. Rotate the pears every 5-10 minutes to ensure they poach evenly on all sides, including the tops. Once done, remove the pears from the liquid and refrigerate.

2. Combine all the ingredients for the lemon cream and whip together until the mixture becomes slightly fluffy and holds soft peaks.

3. Simmer the leftover liquid for a few minutes until it thickens slightly to form a syrup or glaze. Once thickened, remove it from the heat and let it cool.

4. To serve, place a pear on a serving plate. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of the saffron glaze over each pear. Top with lemon-flavored heavy cream and serve immediately.