With the Super Bowl in the rear-view mirror, it is time to turn off football and turn on a sexy dessert. Valentine’s Day is upon us, but this recipe for Tequila Poached Pears with a Cactus Pear Coulis cannot be restrained to the short month of February. Poaching pears is a surprisingly easy affair and a delicious seductive treat. This sinful dessert can be made the day before your rendezvous and can quickly be assembled while your lover pops the cork. To make your Pear Affair even more decadent, serve your dessert with ice cream or pair it with a good quality blue cheese. As it turns out, pears and cactus pears make the perfect pair.
Tequila Poached Pears with Cactus Pear Coulis
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 cups good quality Tequila
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 orange (zested and juiced)
- 2/3 cup agave syrup
- 4 Bosc pears
- 5 cactus pears (carefully peeled)
- 1 1/2 tablespoon sugar-free jam
Poaching Pears:
- In a medium pot, add the water, tequila, cinnamon stick, orange zest, juice, and agave syrup to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook covered for about 15 minutes.
- Peel the pears, leaving the stems intact. You can use a melon baller to core our the bottom of the pears. Gently place the pears in the simmering tequila mixture.
- Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until a knife slides easily out of a pear.
- Remove pears and allow to cool. At this point you can reduce the poaching liquid to use as a sauce or reserve it for another use.
Cactus Pear Coulis:
- Add the cactus pears and the jam to a blender and puree.
- Place the cactus pear sauce in a small pot and reduce by about half over a medium-low flame.
- Use a large silicon spatula to press the mixture through a sieve. Allow to cool to room temperature before placing in your refrigerator.
- Funnel your coulis into a squirt bottle for easy application or simply spoon sauce over the pears.
We’d like to thank Melissa’s Produce for delivering fresh cactus pears and organic Bosc pears to our doorstep to help us create this swoon-worthy recipe. For more information about Melissa’s or how to select, store and handle cactus pears, visit http://melissasproduce.com
