First, wine is a must. However, there is an on-going debate about whether you should use red or white. I do not suggest sitting on the fence for this one, decide and move on. I however, decided that I really wanted the red coloring offered by the red wine, but not the flavor, so instead I used Relax, a Riesling (it’s amazing and sweet!) and some red sparkling grape juice. I would suggest trying out a few whites before deciding on what to use, especially if you are going to add sparkling grape juice to the mix. Seriously, taste the combination first. On a slightly different topic, if you go with just a white wine, throwing in some dried cranberries and/or cherries a couple minutes before the syrup is finished reducing is a colorful, tasty touch; they will re-hydrate a little and add nice texture to the dish too. I suppose you could add these to the red wine/grape juice version of this dish too, but they won’t be a visible addition to the dish.

Secondly, spices must be used. The spices used can be modified to your taste. Generally cinnamon and cloves are always used. You can also add nutmeg, allspice (go light though), and any of those other winter-y spices in small amounts.

Then, citrus juice and zest is always included. Believe me, you need it to cut the sweetness. I used orange juice and a larger grate on orange zest. The large pieces of orange zest ended up being candied and were a delicious extra texture in the syrup. I decided to served the pears with slices of lemon which ended up being quite refreshing to chew on while eating the desert.

Finally, the type of pears used must be considered. Once you’ve got everything else in order, you must decide what kind of pears to use and there are more choices than you might expect. I used the Bosc pears for this dish because a lot of recipes I researched said that Bartlett pears fall apart very rapidly. I cannot speak to that, but it was consistent enough that I would take it under advisement. Just make sure they are fairly firm and try to avoid soft spots wherever possible. Don’t fret though, you will be skinning them and cutting the bottoms off of the bears to that they will sit flat.

Ingredients

4 Poached Pears

1 bottle of wine/juice

1 c orange juice

1 c sugar or honey*

2-3 tbsp orange zest

1/2 -1tsp of cloves

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 sticks cinnamon

*If you decide to use grape juice in any capacity, the amount of sugar should be drastically reduced to compensate. Do not cut it out entirely, but definitely reduce it by half or so. Don’t worry though, it definitely will still be really sweet either way.

Now that you’ve chosen your pears, spices, wine, and citrus, it’s time to get cooking. Skin the pears using a small pairing knife leaving as much of the fruit in tact as possible. Do, however, remove any especially bruised spots because these will disintegrate during the poaching process.

Once everything is prepped, pour the wine and/or grape juice in to a pot that is just large enough in diameter to hold all four pears and deep enough to submerge the pears in liquid completely. If you don’t have a pot that meets these requirements, it is possible to use a wider, pot that is not as deep and lay the pears on their sides, rotating frequently. Then add the sugar (adjusted if using grape juice) and bring the mixture to a boil. Be patient though, and try to avoid it frothing.

Then add the orange/lemon juice, orange/lemon zest, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg or any other winter-y spices you wish to use. Keep stirring for 10 minutes or so.

Add the pears so that they are as submerged as possible in the liquid. Remember, parts of the pears that are not submerged will not cook evenly, so orient the pears as needed to keep the cooking evenly distributed. Also, if using red wine/grape juice, definitely try to make sure the pears color evenly.

Keep the pot partially covered and rotate the pears frequently if necessary. Continue cooking for approximately 45 minutes. To test if the pears are done, a butter knife inserted gently to the thickest part should meet minimal resistance. The pears will not always finish at the same time, so remove them as they finish until all have finished and then add the finished pears back to the syrup to rewarm them before serving. Then place in bowls (or plates depending on the amount of syrup and ice cream you want to serve them with), spoon syrup over them, garnish with lemons if desired (I highly recommend it!) and then spoon some vanilla ice cream, creme fraiche, or vanilla yogurt in to the bowl. Enjoy!

Before attempting this recipe, there are a few things that you need to have on hand. First and foremost, a candy thermometer is a must. A medium saucepan, kitchen scissors, and a good wooden spoon are also essential tools. (Admittedly, other types of stirring utensils will suffice, but I would avoid plastic and/or rubber because it will be in contact with the heat for quite a while.)

The recipe is as follows:
5 oz condensed milk
1 c milk
1 c butter
1 c light corn syrup
1 lb light brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
nuts, chopped (if desired)

1. Attach the candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Adjust the clip so that the thermometer is deep enough into the pan to be accurate, but make sure it is not touching the bottom.

2. Thoroughly butter a 13×9 pan and set aside.

3. Turn the burner on to medium heat and add the butter, letting it melt.

4. Then add the corn syrup, condensed milk, milk, brown sugar, and salt. Stir quickly enough produce a fairly consistent golden-brown sauce.

4. The stirring can slow, but stir continuously until the mixture hits the firm ball stage (around 245-250° F). Try to avoid significant amount of boiling.

5. When the candy thermometer reads 245-250° F, remove from heat. If desired, fold in the nuts. Then quickly pour into the buttered pan.

6. If toppings are desired, prepare them while the caramel cools. I tried caramels (without nuts) topped with sea salt this time. I’m going to experiment with candied basil with the next batch. Whatever topping you choose, just remember that caramel has a strong taste in and of itself and could easily overwhelm a topping.

7. When the caramels have cooled completely cut them into bite-size pieces and wrap in wax or parchment paper. Make sure you let it cool, and definitely use kitchen scissors to shape the final product; a knife will dull almost immediately and have very little effect on the caramels.

The recipe makes a lot of caramels, so be prepared to hand out goodie bags as people come visit (or take some on the road when you go visit family and friends). This melt-in-your-mouth, delicious recipe can produce a huge number of bite-sized squares wrapped individually, or a large number long tootsie-roll shaped  individual treats.

These would be a great idea for Halloween treats for the neighborhood kids, although unfortunately most strangers wouldn’t let their kids eat homemade candy. Also, this would be a great school bake sale item because it makes so much and costs little to make. Otherwise, make it at the holidays, preferably when it’s cold outside since the stove will be on for a while. Either way, this recipe is a keeper!

1/2 c butter
1/2 c + 2 tbsp sugar (divided)
1 large egg (divided)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 and 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 c macadamia nuts (ground)
raspberry jam*

1.  Cream the room-temperature butter and 1 cup of sugar until pale and fluffy. Lightly beat the egg yolk and add it to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix well.

2. Add the flower and salt, mixing until the just combined.

3. Dump the slightly crumbly dough out on to Saran Wrap, shape into a ball, and cover completely with the Saran Wrap. Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

4. Preheat the oven to 325º F.

5.Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let warm slightly.

6.  Dump approximately 1/2 cup of macadamia nuts into a food processor and pulse until the pieces are uniformly small. Dump into a small mixing bowl and mix with the remaining two tablespoons of sugar.

7. Lightly beat the egg white and set aside.

8. Shape the lightly softened dough into balls approximately 1-inch in diameter. Dip each ball in the egg white and then roll in the macadamia nut mixture.

9. Place each ball on the cookie sheet about an inch apart. Gently press your thumb in to the center of the ball leaving an indentation but allowing the ball to remain round.

10. Bake for 10 minutes. Then remove from the oven and use the end of a wooden spoon to depress the centers again. Return the tray to the oven for another 8 minutes.**

11. Let cool slightly on wire racks and then fill with raspberry jam.

*Raspberry jam can be replaced with strawberry jam, apricot jam, or Nutella for a different, though equally delicious taste.

**Baking times may vary. The cookies should brown only lightly, so watch the first batch carefully and note specific baking times for your oven.

These were great for my friend’s visit and I am expecting them to be a great snack at the beach this weekend too. Let me know if you try out any other awesome alternative fillings!