Cranberry Poached Pears With Cinnamon Spiced Neufchatel Cheese Recipes

Steps:

• Place cranberry juice, sugar, and cinnamon stick into a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, and simmer until the sugar dissolves. Meanwhile, peel the pears, leaving the stem intact.
• Place the pears into the simmering juice and cover. Cook until the pears are tender, turning occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes. Once tender, remove the saucepan from the heat, and set aside to cool to room temperature. Turn the pears a few times as they cool so the color remains even.

Steps:

• Place pears in a saucepan large enough to hold them snugly. Add enough water to barely cover them (about 4 cups). Add sugar, cinnamon, citrus peels, honey, and lemon juice. Using the tip of a paring knife, scrape vanilla seeds into pan, and toss in pod. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Reduce heat, and simmer gently until pears are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Add fresh cranberries, and simmer until cranberries are soft but not mushy, about 3 minutes more.
• Use a spoon to transfer pears to a dish. Spoon cranberries and syrup around pears. Add tea bag and dried cranberries if using. Let cool for 15 minutes. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.
• Before serving, remove vanilla bean, cinnamon stick, citrus peels, and tea bag. Transfer pears to plates with some of the cranberries, syrup, and a dollop of yogurt, creme fraiche, or cheese.

Steps:

• Put the cranberry juice, orange juice and sugar in a saucepan large enough to hold the pears. Heat gently to dissolve the sugar. Add the cinnamon and star anise, if using, and boil for 5 minutes.
• Peel the pears and immediately stand them in the pan with the cranberry syrup. Cover and simmer gently for 40 minutes, or until the pears are cooked and soft through to the center when pierced with a skewer.
• Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely in the syrup. Chill for 2 hours or overnight, occasionally turning the pears in the syrup to achieve an even color.
• Remove the pears from the pan and bring the cranberry syrup to the boil for 20 minutes, or until reduced to a thick syrup. Add the fresh cranberries and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside until competely cooled.
• Place the pears on a plate with the cranberries and pour the sauce over and around them.

Steps:

• Place the pears in a saucepan large enough to hold them snugly. Add enough water (about 4 cups) to barely cover them. Add the honey, sugar, orange and lemon zests, lemon juice, and cinnamon stick.
• Using the tip of a paring knife, scrape the vanilla seeds out of the pod and add them to the pan. Toss in the pod and add the tea bag. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Reduce the heat and simmer until the pears are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 10 minutes.
• Add the cranberries and return to a simmer until they burst, about 3 minutes. Remove and discard the tea bag.
• Transfer the pears to a large bowl and pour over the cranberries and syrup. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days.
• Remove and discard the citrus zest, cinnamon stick, and vanilla bean. To serve, arrange the pears on a platter. Spoon over the cranberries and as much of the poaching liquid as desired. Serve.

Steps:

• Pate Brisee: Pulse together flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor to combine. Pulse in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. With machine running, add 1/4 cup ice water in a slow, steady stream, just until dough holds together. To test, squeeze a small amount together; if it is crumbly, add up to 1/4 cup more ice water, a little at a time. Do not process more than 30 seconds.
• Turn out dough onto a clean surface; divide in half. Place each half on a piece of plastic, flatten into disks, and wrap tightly. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before using. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.
• Filling: Combine wine, sugar, cinnamon, star anise, vanilla seeds, and cranberries in a wide saucepan. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. Add pears; if not completely covered in liquid, add water as needed. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover with a round of parchment, pressing it directly on surface of pears. Simmer until tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pears and cranberries to a heatproof bowl, then increase heat to high and boil liquid until reduced to 2 cups. Pour liquid over pears; refrigerate until cool, about 30 minutes or up to overnight.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out remaining disk of dough to a 13-inch round. Transfer to a parchment-lined unrimmed baking sheet. Using a 1-inch petal cutter, cut out a decorative pattern in center, reserving cutouts to decorate edges. Freeze until firm, 15 minutes.
• Remove pears and cranberries from liquid and blot dry with paper towels. Arrange pears in prepared pie dish, then add cranberries. Brush overhang with egg wash. Place top crust over filling; press edges to seal with bottom crust. Using kitchen shears, trim dough to a 1/2-inch overhang, reserving scraps. Tuck overhand under so edges are flush with rim. Brush edges with egg wash and decorate with petal cutouts, rerolling scraps to cut out more shapes as needed. Brush entire surface with egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar.
• Bake 20 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue baking until crust is evenly browned (if browning too quickly, tent edges with foil), 45 to 60 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Steps:

• Cut lemons in half, squeeze juice into a medium bowl half filled with cold water, and add squeezed lemon halves to bowl. Peel pears as carefully and smoothly as possible, leaving stems attached. Place pears in lemon (acidulated) water as you peel them.
• In a large saucepan, combine wine, 3 cups water, 1/2 cup sugar, peppercorns, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a bare simmer. Remove pears and 2 of the squeezed lemon halves from water, and add to the saucepan. Keep pears submerged in liquid by placing a lid slightly smaller than the pan, a damp piece of cheesecloth, or a clean dish towel over them. Simmer until pears are tender and translucent, 10 to 30 minutes, depending on ripeness.
• Remove from heat, and let pears cool in poaching liquid. Refrigerate when cool. (Pears can be prepared to this point up to 2 days in advance.)
• In a medium saucepan, combine fresh cranberries, kumquats, 1 cup water, and the remaining 1 cup sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and let cranberries simmer gently until skins burst and mixture thickens slightly, about 15 minutes. Stir in dried cranberries. Remove from heat, cool completely, and refrigerate. (Cranberry sauce can be prepared up to 2 days in advance.)
• Remove pears from poaching liquid with a slotted spoon, and cut in half lengthwise. Drain on paper towels. Using a melon baller or small spoon, carefully scoop out seeds and a little of the surrounding flesh to create a small, round cavity in each pear half. When ready to serve, fill each cavity with 1 to 2 tablespoons chilled cranberry sauce. Serve extra cranberry sauce on the side.

Steps:

• Bring first 3 ingredients and 1/4 cup sugar to boil in 2-qt. saucepan, stirring frequently until sugar is completely dissolved. Add pear halves; simmer over medium-low heat 20 min. or just until tender, stirring occasionally.
• Remove pears from liquid. Place on 4 dessert plates. Bring liquid to boil; cook over medium heat 30 min. or until liquid is reduced to 1/3 cup, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, mix Neufchatel, cinnamon and remaining sugar until blended. Gently stir in COOL WHIP until blended.
• Spoon Neufchatel mixture into pear halves; drizzle with cranberry sauce.