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I can still remember the first time I experienced the true bliss of eating a poached pear. I was living in Germany and had yet to blossom into the adventurous food lover I am today. I mean, I loved food! That’s never been the problem. I just had boundary issues. New things freaked me out. I was stuck in a shell of the same, the same, the same.
But I digress! A few of my girlfriends talked me into hopping a 10 hour train to Florence for a food and wine festival, and you guys, it was to this day one of the best weekends of my life. Within minutes of entering the festival gates we were handed petite cups overflowing with poached pears swimming in hazelnut cream and crunchy pistachios.
I had my hesitations for a minute (POACHED PEARS? WHAT THE WHAT?), held my breath, and took a bite. It was absolute heaven in a glass. Sweet, creamy, silky smooth pears… where have you been all my life? That was my brain thought after finishing the last bite. Let’s just say these days I cannot NOT order poached pears if I see them on the dessert menu. It’s a must. I just can’t pass them by! I consider it catching up 🙂
So after all of the rambling, I bet you’re like, “hey, I want to have an epic poached pear experience too!” … right?
Cool! Let’s do this. It’s easy! First, find yourself some pretty pears. It’s Fall, and pears are in their prime, so that part should be a cake walk.
Once the pears are in your custody you’ll need to skin em. A vegetable peeler makes this SO easy, but if your don’t own one, a small knife can do the job. Just watch your fingers!
Once they’re good and naked, you’re going to quarter them and cut out any seeds/twigs/stuff you don’t wanna eat.
And toss them in your chai tea liquid. YUM.
The pears will poach in the (already simmering) liquid for 20-25 minutes, or until they’re niiiice and soft. Then simply remove them with a slotted spoon, plate them, and doll them up with some goodies! I highly recommend serving these with salted caramel sauce, cinnamon ice cream, and chopped smoked almonds. If you need a caramel recipe, this one for bourbon salted caramel is a gem. Now, go get your poached pear on! You can thank me later 😉 xoxo
Chai Tea Latte Poached Pears with Salted Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 Bosc pears
- 4 black tea bags
- 2 cups water
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons vanilla
- 1 cup salted caramel sauce, of your choice, link for recipe in post
- Cinnamon Ice cream, for serving, optional
- Smoked almonds, chopped, optional
Instructions
- Bring 2 cups of water to a rapid boil, add spices, mix well, then add tea bags; steep for 8 minutes. Fit a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and strain the tea mixture into it; set aside.
- In the same pan add the milk and and brown sugar and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until sugar has dissolved; about 4-5 minutes. Add the milk mixture to the tea mixture, add in vanilla, and stir well to combine. Pour mixture in a smaller sauce pan (large enough to hold the liquid but not too wide that it's shallow; you want the liquid to completely cover the pears); set over medium heat and allow the mixture to come to a calm simmer.
- In the meantime, prepare your pears...
- Peel pears with a vegetable peeler (or carefully with a paring knife). Cut them into quarters, then scoop out any seeds or stems.
- Once chai tea mixture is at a gentle simmer, add the pears to the liquid, and cook at a low simmer, stirring only once or twice, for 20-25 minutes, or until pears are soft and cooked through.
- Using a slotted spoon remove pears from the liquid and transfer them to small plates.
- I like to serve 2 or 3 pieces per plate, topped with 2 tablespoons of salted caramel sauce, a scoop of cinnamon ice cream, and a sprinkle of chopped smoked almonds. I highly recommend trying it this way, too!
- The pears can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Can the chai liquid be used again to poach more pears? Not days after, but perhaps later in the day…
I do not have NEARLY enough pear recipes on my blog (read: I have zero) and I must remedy that immediately. This is such a gorgeous, simple yet wow-factor, elegant dessert. I love it.
A definite yes to poached pears! I love the idea of spicing them with chai. Super perfect for a fall dessert!
Wow this looks amazing – chai tea sounds like a great combination with pears! Such a great dessert idea!
It’s one of my lifetime goal to go to a food and wine festival in the United States, let alone FLORENCE! Oh my gosh, I can only imagine how amazing that was. Pears are my fruit of choice at the moment, and these are so creative! Love everything.
Hey…my hubbie and I lived in Cologne for a little over a year, it’s a great city! Now about these pears; I love that they’re poached in tea, and all those spices…de-lish!
How cool! It is a great city 🙂 And thank you!!!