Don’t be afraid to try poaching your dessert – it’s really easy and very visually impressive!
Zest of 1 lemon, cut into thin strips
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
3 cups apple cider
1 cup water
8 Bosc pears (with stems), peeled and cored from bottom
Lemon sorbet, for serving (optional)
In a large saucepan, combine lemon zest, cinnamon stick, allspice, ground pepper, apple cider, and water.
Add pears. Bring to a simmer. Cook, turning pears occasionally, until easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife, but not falling apart, about 20 minutes. Remove pears from liquid; transfer to large bowl.
Raise heat to high; boil cider mixture until reduced to a syrup, about 15 minutes. Discard cinnamon. Pour syrup over pears; refrigerate. To serve, slice off a sliver from the bottom of each pear (so it stands upright). Serve pears with lemon sorbet, if desired.
From Martha Stewart.com