Don’t you just love it
when you put something together on
a whim, and it works out the first
time? My friend Garrett had a few
extra pears from a baking adventure
which I decided to poach in Marsala
wine, with some sugar, star anise,
cinnamon, and cloves. Star anise
has a strong licorice flavor, so I
was a little worried my poached
pears would end up tasting like
Good-n-Plenty. Fortunately, the
other spices rose to the occasion
and along with the Marsala infused
the pears with a happy, spicy,
delicious aroma. Firm, just ripe
pears should be used. If overly
ripe, the pears will cook up mushy.
If Bosc pears are not available,
Bartlett or Anjou can be
substituted. You can core the pears
if you wish, from the bottom, but
it really is not necessary.