Poached Pear & Mascarpone with Millie’s Cheese
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For the Spiced Pears
Ingredients
- 3 firm pears, peeled
- 2 cups apple juice
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- 2–3 cloves
- Small strip of lemon peel
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp sugar
Method
1. Prep the pears
Peel the pears and set aside.
2. Make the poaching liquid
In a saucepan, add apple juice, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, lemon peel and sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer.
3. Poach
Add the pears , the liquid should mostly cover them.
Simmer on low for 15–25 minutes, turning once or twice, until tender but not mushy.
4. Finish
Add lemon juice. Taste the liquid , reduce for another 3–5 minutes if you’d like a slightly thicker syrup.
5. Serve
Serve warm or chilled.
Vegan Mascarpone (Using Millie’s Cheese)
Ingredients
- 200g Millie’s Cheese (unsalted)
- ¼ + ⅛ cup coconut cream
- 1½ tsp lemon juice
- ¼ cup icing sugar
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
Method
- Let the cream cheese come to room temperature.
- Whisk (or use a beater) the cream cheese, coconut cream and icing sugar until smooth and creamy.
- Add lemon juice and vanilla extract. Mix gently.
- Chill for 1–2 hours — it thickens beautifully and becomes mascarpone-like.
To Assemble
Spoon the mascarpone onto a plate, place the warm poached pear on top, drizzle with reduced syrup, and finish with granola and caramel sauce for crunch.
The perfect Valentine’s dessert, elegant, indulgent and delicious!