Red Wine Poached Pears with Chocolate Filling

This red wine-poached pear with chocolate recipe is a perfect dessert option for the holidays, cold winter nights, or as a show-stopper to impress your friends. Just don't let them know how easy it is to make! Serve with a savory cream like mascarpone, crème fraiche, or Devonshire cream. Can be made ahead of time and refrigerated.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 40 mins
• Calories: 400 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup water
• ⅔ cup white sugar
• 1 ½ cups red wine
• 1 star anise pod (Optional)
• 4 pears, peeled, or more to taste
• 1 (11 ounce) jar chocolate sauce (such as Fran's®)

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Cut bottom off each pear and core from the bottom to give each pear a flat bottom to stand upright.

Step 2

Combine wine, water, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and star anise in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and arrange pears on their sides in the saucepan. Simmer pears for 10 to 12 minutes. Turn pears and continue simmering until tender and easily poked with a fork, 8 to 10 minutes. Work in batches if needed.

Step 3

Remove pears from wine mixture and place in a serving dish, standing upright. Continue boiling wine sauce until reduced to about 3/4 cup, 5 to 10 more minutes.

Step 4

Fill each pear's core cavity with chocolate sauce. Pour wine sauce over each pear.