Honey Poached Pears With Crème Fraîche Food

HONEY POACHED PEARS WITH CRèME FRAîCHE

Steps:

• Combine 2 1/2 cups water, honey, star anise, lemon juice, and sea salt in large saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add pears; reduce heat and simmer until tender, turning occasionally, 4 to 6 minutes, depending on ripeness. Using slotted spoon, transfer pears to medium bowl. Boil liquid and star anise until reduced to 1 cup syrup, about 22 minutes. Pour syrup with star anise over pears. Cover and chill until cold, about 2 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.
• Remove star anise from syrup. Divide pears and syrup among 6 bowls. Top each with dollop of crème fraîche and serve.

POACHED PEARS IN HONEY, GINGER AND CINNAMON SYRUP

Steps:

• In a saucepan large enough to hold all the pears, combine the wine, Simple Syrup, cinnamon stick halves, honey, and ginger. Scrape in the seeds from the vanilla bean and add the bean and seeds to the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the honey has melted. Add the pears and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until the pears are tender. Remove the pears from the liquid and allow to cool.
• Continue to simmer the liquid until it thickens and is reduced by half, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Remove the cinnamon stick halves and the vanilla bean and discard.
• Place each pear on a small serving plate with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Drizzle with the honey, ginger and cinnamon syrup. Serve immediately.
• In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the syrup to cool.

SPICED POACHED PEARS WITH CRèME FRAîCHE AND AMARETTO COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large pot, combine sugar with 8 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, star anise, and lemon, stir until the sugar is dissolved.
• Add the pears to the liquid and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer the pears until tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove pot from heat and let the pears cool in their liquid at room temperature.
• When ready to serve, use a slotted spoon to transfer pears to serving platter. Top with a dollop of crème fraîche, amaretti cookie crumbs, and a light dusting of cinnamon.