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Mulled pears, three ways

Name: Mulled pears, three ways
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients: 125g golden caster sugar; 6 ripe but firm pears; Squeeze lemon juice; For the red wine pears; 750ml full-bodied red wine; Pared zest 1 orange; 1 star anise; 4 peppercorns; ¼ tsp grated nutmeg; For the cider pears; 500ml dry apple cider +250ml water; 1 apple, cut into wedges; 1 cinnamon stick; 4 cloves; 1 tsp ground ginger; For the white tea pears; 2 tsp white tea leaves, infused in 750ml boiling water for 5 minutes, then strained; Pared zest 1 lemon; 3 cardamom pods, bashed

Easy
November 2023

Easy
November 2023

Test kitchen approved

Serves 6
Hands-on time 20 min, plus cooling. Simmering time 25 min

Transform classic poached pears into a Christmas showstopper, with our beautiful trio of mulled fruits. Choose your favourite or try all three, with a decadent matching sauce to boot – after all, it is Christmas!

Love these flavours? Check out our hazelnut meringue cake sandwiched with whipped cream and mulled pears, too…

Nutrition: Per pear (approx. without sauce)

Calories: 173kcals
Fat: 0g
Protein: 0.5g
Carbohydrates: 41g (39g sugars)
Fibre: 4.3g
Salt: trace

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 173kcals
Fat: 0g
Protein: 0.5g
Carbohydrates: 41g (39g sugars)
Fibre: 4.3g
Salt: trace

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Ingredients

125g golden caster sugar
6 ripe but firm pears
Squeeze lemon juice

For the red wine pears

750ml full-bodied red wine
Pared zest 1 orange
1 star anise
4 peppercorns
¼ tsp grated nutmeg

For the cider pears

500ml dry apple cider +250ml water
1 apple, cut into wedges
1 cinnamon stick
4 cloves
1 tsp ground ginger

For the white tea pears

2 tsp white tea leaves, infused in 750ml boiling water for 5 minutes, then strained
Pared zest 1 lemon
3 cardamom pods, bashed

Method

Pour the wine, cider or water/tea into a pan that will fit the liquid and the pears snugly (so they’ll be fully submerged in the liquid). Add the relevant fruit and spices, pour in the 125g sugar, then put over a low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover and leave to infuse for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel the pears, leaving the stalks intact, and trim the base so they’re flat enough to stand upright. Put in a bowl of water with a squeeze of lemon juice so they don’t turn brown while you’re waiting for the liquid to infuse.
Return the flavourings pan to the heat and add the pears. Bring to a gentle simmer and submerge the pears in the liquid for 20-25 minutes, turning occasionally, until just tender. Remove to a bowl and set aside to cool.
You can either bring the poaching liquid back to the boil and reduce by three quarters (to about 250ml) until thick and syrupy, or use it to make one of the sauces mentioned.

delicious. tips

You can also serve the pears with a sauce…

Mulled wine syrup (for the red wine pears)

Reduce the mulling liquid from the wine poached pears over a medium high heat and add 2 tsp liquid glucose until thick and syrupy. Stir in some edible glitter if you like. Serve warm.

Caramel sauce (for the cider pears)

Put 150g golden caster sugar in a saucepan with 75g of the reduced poaching liquid and 2 tsp liquid glucose. Bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then remove the spoon. Bubble, swirling the pan every now and then, until the liquid turns amber. Add 200ml double cream (careful it will bubble up and may spit) and stir to combine. Add a pinch of salt and some gold edible glitter (if you like). It will thicken as it cools, so set aside for about 10 minutes and serve warm.

White chocolate and cardamom sauce (for the white tea pear)

Put 100g chopped white chocolate, 200ml double cream and 2 bashed cardamom pods in a small pan over a low-medium heat. Cook gently, stirring, until melted and combined. Scoop out the cardamom pods, then stir in some silver edible glitter (if you like). Serve warm.