Pears Poached in Zinfandel
with Ganache and Raspberry Mascarpone
This dessert is a simple, yet elegant way to end a meal. Pears, poached in wine, are filled with a luscious chocolate ganache and served in a pool of raspberry and mascarpone sauce. Recipe by Chef Chef Daniel Strongin.
Recipe Ingredients:
Pears:
4 cups water
2 cups red Zinfandel
2 cups granulated sugar
Zest of 1 orange, blanched
6 firm pears with stems, peeled
Ganache:
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Sauce and Raspberry Wisconsin Mascarpone:
1 pint raspberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 to 2 tablespoons water
12 ounces Wisconsin Mascarpone cheese
Mint leaves, for garnish
Cooking Directions:
- For Pears: In a large pan over medium heat, combine water, wine, sugar and orange zest. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Set pears in pan standing up. Poach pears until just tender. Cool in syrup. Core pears. Set aside.
- For Ganache: In medium pan over medium heat, bring cream to a boil. Remove pan from heat immediately. Add chocolate. Soften several minutes. Stir until smooth. Stir in butter. When cooled, pipe ganache into pears. Set aside.
- For Sauce and Raspberry Mascarpone: Purée raspberries in blender. Add sugar, lemon juice and water. Stir half the purée carefully into Mascarpone.
- To serve, spoon generous amounts of Raspberry Mascarpone onto chilled dessert plates. Arrange pears on top of each portion of Raspberry Mascarpone. Garnish with remaining raspberry sauce and mint.
Makes 6 servings.
Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Inc.