Spiced red wine poached pears with shortbread

A fabulous end to any festive dinner party. This is so quick and simple to make especially if you have pre made the mulled wine.

Ingredients

Serves 4

1 quantity of mulled wine, see separate recipe here

4 firmish but ripe dessert pears (very ripe is no good)

For the shortbread:

100 g plain flour

50 g caster sugar

100 g butter

50 g semolina

Clotted cream ice cream to serve

Method

Peel the pears and pop them in a bowl of water with a squeeze of lemon juice, this will stop them going brown.  When you are ready to use them cut the bottoms off so they stand up easily.

Put the pears in a deep saucepan and cover with the mulled wine. 

You can roll the pears on their sides which will make them easier to cover.

Turn the heat onto medium and when it’s simmering poach the pears for around 30 minutes or until a knife easily pierces the flesh.

You don’t want them too soft they should still have a little bite to them.

For the shortbread mix together the butter sugar and flour in a food processor until a smooth dough is formed.  Don’t over work the mix or the shortbread won’t be short.  Just mix it until it comes together.

Roll or pat out and pop on a lightly greased baking sheet. 

Bake on 160 / gas mark 2 for 25 minutes

When the shortbread comes out of the oven it will be soft don’t worry it hardens on cooling. When its soft is the time to cut it into your desired shapes or do the traditional fork prick marks all over. 

Sprinkle with caster sugar and serve with the pears.

A little of the syrup drizzled over the pears always goes down a treat.

Image courtest of DirtyGourmet.com and i just LOVE it.