🍷 Sweet & Simple Pears Poached In Red Wine

Looking for the perfect ending to an elegant meal? Need a recipe that won’t take all day to make? Red Wine Poached Pears are your new dessert secret weapon! With their jewel-like color and complex flavor, this is a striking recipe that’s deceptively simple to make.

The idea behind poached pears is beyond simple: just simmer peeled pears in sweet, flavorful liquid, and in half an hour or so, they’ll develop a wonderfully tender texture and aromatic flavor. In our classic Poached Pear recipe, we keep things simple by using water and adding cinnamon, anise, and vanilla flavors.

However, if you want to get a little fancy, you can easily swap wine for the water. This one little change makes a BIG difference. The pears absorb some of the wine’s flavor and color, turning a festive, deep red color on the outside.

You can serve these pears in their own sweet-tart juices, or dress them up with soft whipped cream, a sprinkle of cinnamon, or a pair them with a slice of pound cake.

Ingredients

These beautiful pears only need a few ingredients, and very minimal supplies. Here are my top tips to keep in mind as you shop for this recipe. (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)

• Pears: Use pears that are ripe but still firm – if your pears are too soft, they’re more liable to fall apart while poaching. I recommend using Bosc or Anjou pears if possible, but other varieties will also work – see the best pears to use for poaching section below.
• Red Wine: The pears will take on the wine’s flavor, so my top tip is to use a red wine you enjoy drinking! Look for a fruity, medium-bodied red that won’t be too overpowering – think Pinot Noir, Merlot, or Zinfandel. Read more about the best wine to use below.
• Sugar: All you’ll need is regular granulated sugar to make the red wine sauce for the pears.
• Citrus juices: Orange and lemon juice brighten up the red wine syrup, adding a punch of flavor and keeping it from becoming too cloying or sweet. Whenever possible, I highly recommend using freshly squeezed citrus juices, but bottled is okay in a pinch.
• Vanilla extract: a touch of vanilla rounds out the flavor of the poaching liquid. Use a high-quality vanilla extract to get the best results.
• Cinnamon sticks: Cinnamon sticks provide a lovely, warm flavor to the red wine sauce. If you don’t have cinnamon sticks you can substitute 1/2-1 tsp ground cinnamon.

Equipment

• Saucepan: You’ll want to use a large saucepan that can accommodate 5 pears standing upright in the pan with the lid on. I like this 6 quart saucepan from Cuisinart.
• Vegetable peeler: A vegetable peeler makes quick work of peeling the pears.

💡 Tips and FAQs  

• For the best flavor, serve these pears warm or at room temperature.
• Red wine poached pears pair really nicely with whipped cream, pudding or ice cream.
• Feel free to experiment with adding more warm fall spices like cardamom, nutmeg and allspice. You can also try different extracts like almond, lemon or orange.

📋 How to Make Red Wine Poached Pears

Here’s an overview of how to make Red Wine Poached Pears! Full instructions are included in the recipe card.

1. Start by peeling the pears. Make sure to leave the stem on the pears.
2. In a medium sized saucepan over medium high heat, add the red wine, sugar, orange juice, lemon juice, vanilla extract and cinnamon sticks and bring to a boil. Make sure to stir occasionally so the sugar dissolves.

3. Once the wine mixture boils, add your pears. Place them in the saucepan with the stem side pointing upward. Bring the heat down to low and cover. Cook for about 30 minutes, or until the pears are tender.
4. Let the pears cool completely before serving. You can serve them with whipped cream and cinnamon, or vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

🍐 Vanilla Poached Pears with Caramel Sauce

Apples might get a lot of attention come autumn (we see you, apple pie) but to me, pears are the unsung heroes of fall baking.

Pears pair beautifully with fall flavors like cinnamon and nutmeg, and they add a delicious, unexpected flavor to desserts that typically feature apples: think tart tatin, spiced cupcakes, and even pies.

🧾 What You’ll Need

Ingredients

The ingredients for Poached Pears are fairly simple. Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you make this recipe. (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)

• Pears: Use pears that are ripe but still firm – if your pears are too soft, they’re more liable to fall apart while poaching. I recommend using Bosc or Anjou pears if possible, but other varieties will also work – see the best pears to use for poaching section below.
• Sugar: We’re using regular granulated sugar in both the poaching liquid and the caramel sauce.
• Spices: Cinnamon sticks provide a lovely, warm flavor to the the pear juices. If you don’t have cinnamon sticks you can substitute 1/2-1 tsp ground cinnamon. I also use star anise, which has a very sweet, licorice-like flavor. Feel free to omit the star anise if you don’t care for the taste.
• Vanilla: Use a high-quality vanilla extract to get the best results. You could also use a split vanilla bean pod instead, if you have that on hand.
• Cream and butter: You don’t need cream or butter to make poached pears, but you will need them if you want to make the accompanying caramel sauce. I recommend using heavy cream and unsalted butter if possible.

Equipment

• Saucepan: You’ll want to use a large saucepan that can accommodate 5 pears standing upright in the pan with the lid on. I like this 6 quart saucepan from Cuisinart.
• Vegetable peeler: A vegetable peeler makes quick work of peeling the pears.
• Silicone spatula: Silicone spatulas are my preferred tool when working with sticky recipes like caramel.

💡 Tips and FAQs

• The pears can be served warm, at room temperature, or even cold.
• You only need a little caramel sauce on these pears, since they are already sweet from being poached in sugar syrup.
• Warm up the caramel sauce before adding it to the pears – it’s easiest to drizzle when warm.
• If the pears won’t stand up straight when poaching, slice off a thin sliver from the bottom so they sit flat.

📋 How to Make Poached Pears Step-by-step

Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how to make poached pears with caramel sauce. You can find easy-to-print instructions in the recipe card.

To Poach The Pears

1. Wash and peel the pears.
2. Place the pears in a large pot with the water.
3. Add the sugar, cinnamon, anise, and vanilla.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Allow the pears to simmer for 30-40 minutes until the pears are tender when pierced with a knife.

To Make The Caramel Sauce

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the granulated sugar over medium heat.
2. Stir constantly until the sugar forms clumps and turns into a thick amber colored liquid.
3. Once the sugar is melted, immediately add the butter, and stir until melted and combined. After the butter and sugar are combined, cook for a minute without stirring.
4. Slowly add the heavy cream. Be sure to add it little by little so that it combines smoothly. Let it boil for another minute, then remove it from the heat. Finally, stir in the salt.

🍽️ What to Serve with Poached Pears

Although Poached Pears taste delicious plain, they’re also extremely versatile, so get creative with one of these variations:

• Serve them with a sauce like Cinnamon Syrup or Honey Cinnamon Caramel.
• They would taste delicious with soft whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
• Experiment with adding other flavors to the poaching liquid. You can add different spices like nutmeg, cardamom or allspice, flavoring extracts like cinnamon or almond, or add a bit of alcohol like rum or brandy to the liquid.
• And, let’s not forget the presentation! You could slice them on top of yogurt, pancakes, oatmeal or ice cream. We also love these pears with a soft and light panna cotta.
• Wrap poached pears in puff pastry, like in this recipe for Puff Pastry-Wrapped Pears with Chocolate Espresso Sauce.

💭 Toppings & Variations

💡 Tips and FAQs  

Make-Ahead Instructions

If you have a slow cooker with a timed cooking function, you can assemble all ingredients in the slow cooker in advance, and just set it to start cooking when you’re ready! Because of all the dairy, I would not recommend having the ingredients sit out for more than 1-2 hours at cool room temperature before cooking begins.

 How to Make Brown Sugar Cinnamon Syrup

If your primary experience with syrup is that it comes in a squeezy bottle and rhymes with “Shmrs. Shmutterworths,” then this recipe is going to knock your socks off.

Today we’re making this easy homemade Cinnamon Syrup, and to pre-emptively answer a few questions, YES you can make syrup at home and YES you’re going to want to eat it on absolutely everything! And no, this isn’t maple-flavored pancake syrup. This is a warm and cozy brown-sugar based syrup, infused with pure cinnamon flavor.

🧾 What You’ll Need

Ingredients & Equipment

Here’s what you need to make this syrup at home: (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)

• Cinnamon sticks: Cinnamon sticks are the secret to great cinnamon flavor. Unlike ground cinnamon, they impart a strong, vibrant taste without impacting the texture of the syrup. Your cinnamon sticks should be 2-3 inches long, and noticeably fragrant. Although cinnamon sticks don’t go bad, they definitely lose their potency over time, so if you have old, dusty cinnamon sticks that have been kicking around your kitchen for more than a few years, it’s worth it to buy fresh ones.
• Brown sugar: This recipe uses equal parts brown and granulated sugar. I don’t recommend skipping the brown sugar — it gives the syrup a deep, caramelized flavor that goes perfectly with cinnamon.
• Granulated sugar: I like the balance between brown and white sugar, but if you love the taste of brown sugar, you can use all brown sugar in this recipe.
• Saucepan: You’ll want to use a saucepan that’s large enough so the syrup doesn’t bubble over when cooking. A 3-quart saucepan or 4-quart saucepan is perfect for this recipe.

This syrup barely requires instructions–don’t you love a super simple recipe?! Here’s how it all comes together:

• Combine the water, both sugars, and cinnamon sticks in a saucepan over medium heat.
•  Stir while the sugars dissolve, and bring the syrup to a boil.
• Reduce the heat, and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes, until thick and very fragrant.
• Let it cool before using — it will continue to thicken as it cools.
• Enjoy!

💡 Tips and Ideas

• Storage: once cool, transfer the syrup to a glass jar or container, and refrigerate it for about 3-4 weeks.
• Keeping the cinnamon sticks in the jar with the syrup will enhance the flavor over time.
• This makes a wonderful edible gift! Pair decorative jars of syrup with gourmet waffle or pancake mix for a fun gift for teachers and friends.
• Add other spices: In addition to cinnamon sticks, you can include other spices like whole cloves or star anise to build more complex flavors.
• Add citrus: add lemon or orange peels to the mix when making the syrup. Both of these pair very well with cinnamon and the resulting syrups are delicious.

🤎 Try this syrup with:

• Pannetone Bread Pudding
• Cinnamon Bun Bread Pudding
• Cranberry Orange Bread Pudding
• Brownie Bread Pudding
• Nutella Croissant Casserole
• Orange Bundt Cake
• Pumpkin Pound Cake
• Apple Cider Fritters
• Pear Pie In A Jar Recipe

 ☕Make Lavender Coffee at Home

I’m a millennial, so according to conventional Twitter wisdom, I must spend all my discretionary money buying avocado toast and overpriced fancy coffees. I can neither confirm nor deny my avocado toast consumption (okay, I eat it a lot) but I can deny spending oodles on fancy coffee — because I like to make my own at home!

Lattes, with their creamy texture and lush milk foam on top, may seem like something best left to the magicians at Starbucks, but they are surprisingly easy to whip up in your own kitchen. And the best part about making your own lattes? Getting to completely customize the flavors! You don’t have to stick to standard vanilla–you can use a variety of simple syrups to flavor your coffee with fruits, herbs, or–as in this case–fresh flowers.

Looking for more ways to lavender your life? You’ll love my all inclusive Guide to Baking with Lavender where I explain everything you need to know about culinary lavender.

❔What’s in a Lavender Latte?

Regular lattes are typically made with shots of espresso and steamed milk. To make this sweetly scented lavender version, we’re also adding lavender simple syrup, which is an easy-to-make sugar syrup infused with real lavender flavor. Like making your own flavored syrups? Don’t forget to try out my Cinnamon Syrup!

Skeptics, don’t worry–this drink recipe doesn’t taste like a flower garden, or your grandma’s soap. The lavender flavor isn’t overwhelming. It’s just a light floral undertone that gives this coffee a sophisticated, complex depth of flavor. A little extra sumthin’ sumthin’, if you will.

I think you’ll love this cozy, comforting drink. And if you’re looking for more hot drinks to warm you up, don’t miss our Peppermint Hot Chocolate, Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate, and –of course!!– Lavender Hot Chocolate!

🧾 What You’ll Need

Ingredients

Here’s the ingredients and equipment you’ll need to gather to make this lavender latte. (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)

• Espresso or coffee: Espresso is traditionally used in lattes, so if you have the ability to make espresso, that’s definitely preferred. Failing that, strong coffee is a great substitute.
• Milk: If you drink dairy, milk with some fat in it (like 2% or whole) works best and froths beautifully. For non-dairy milk options, oat milk is a great substitute. Almond milk also works well!
• Lavender simple syrup: To flavor and sweeten the latte, you’ll want a small amount of lavender simple syrup. Having this prepped requires a little advanced planning, but once you’ve made a batch, it keeps in the refrigerator for several weeks, so you can enjoy a daily latte with minimal work!

Equipment

• Espresso or coffee maker: You have a lot of options for making the espresso in this recipe! If you’re looking to get started on a budget, this countertop espresso machine is a great, affordable choice. You can also make delicious espresso in a French press!
• Milk frother: If you have a fancy espresso or coffee machine, you might already have a milk frothing attachment. But if you don’t, no worries – milk frothers can be very inexpensive. I’ve been using this type of milk frother for several years and it’s still going strong!

Here’s a breakdown of how to make each latte component, and instructions for putting it all together. Printable instructions are included in the recipe card down below.

1. Make the Lavender Simple Syrup

Lavender syrup is the key to turning a regular latte into a lavender latte. You’ll want to make the syrup first, since it takes time to infuse the sugar syrup with lavender flavor. It can be made in advance–even on a different day!–and stored in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks, and one batch will provide enough for two dozen lattes.

Here’s the quick and dirty lavender syrup procedure, but you can find much more information and full instructions in our lavender syrup recipe here.

• Combine lavender buds, water, and sugar in a saucepan.
• Heat on medium-low heat, stirring regularly, until it comes to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 6-8 minutes to thicken the syrup.
• Take it off the heat and let it sit for an hour to really absorb the flavor.
• Strain the lavender buds out of the syrup and transfer to a storage container.

Lavender syrup shortcut:

Not up for making your own lavender syrup? This Monin Lavender Syrup is a delicious, high-quality substitute.

2. Make the Espresso (or Coffee)

You have several options for making the espresso in this recipe:

• Use a home espresso maker
• Make espresso with a French press and espresso beans
• Use powdered espresso
• Brew double-strength coffee
• Failing all that, you can buy a few shots of espresso from your favorite local coffee shop!

3. Steam & Froth the Milk

• Heat the milk until hot but not boiling.
• Use a frother (I like this $10 version), insert it in the milk, not too close to the surface, and froth the milk until it doubles in size.
• If you don’t have a frother, you can heat the milk in a saucepan and whisk vigorously while it heats up, and this will produce a similar effect.

4. Put it All Together!

• Make the espresso and pour it into a latte cup.
• Add the lavender syrup and stir.
• Steam the milk and froth the milk.
• Slowly pour the milk in the center of the espresso – the foam will come out last.
• Garnish with a sprinkling of lavender buds, and enjoy!

💜 More Lavender Recipes

Love Lavender? Try one of these lavender desserts!

• Lavender Lemon Bars
• Chocolate-Lavender Pie
• Earl Grey Lavender Cupcakes
• Lavender Hot Chocolate
• Lavender Rose Ice Cream

🔥 More Drink Recipes

Baby, when it’s cold outside, try one of these hot drinks to keep you warm.

• Orange Hot Chocolate
• Raspberry White Hot Chocolate
• Strawberry Hot Chocolate
• Peppermint Affogato
• Nutella Hot Chocolate

🧾 What You’ll Need

Ingredients

This delicious sweet bread is packed with ingredients you probably already have around, plus some sneaky hidden veggies! Here’s what you’ll need. You can find full ingredient amounts in the recipe card below. (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)

For the bread

• Shredded zucchini: Yep, we’re hiding 2 cups of zucchini (which is roughly 1 medium zucchini) in this delicious treat. The zucchini adds tons of moisture to the bread too, for an amazingly soft texture!
• Lime zest: Adding lime zest might come as a surprise, but it’s the secret to making this zucchini better than others you might have tried. It adds a bright pop of lime flavor to the bread. If you don’t have limes, you can swap in lemon or orange zest, or omit it entirely.
• All-purpose flour: “Regular” flour, aka all-purpose, is what we’re using to give the bread its structure. I recommend weighing the flour (and all of your ingredients!) with a food scale for a more accurate result, but you can also spoon it into the measuring cup and gently level it off.
• Baking soda and baking powder:Use both leavening agents to create a perfectly light yet moist texture.
• Canola oil: Adds moisture without taking away from the flavor of zucchini and lime.
• Brown sugar: Gives the bread a deeper flavor and helps keep it moist. You can use dark or light brown sugar.
• Large eggs: Bring the eggs to room temperature by letting them sit out for 20-30 minutes, or submerge them in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes to warm them up quickly.

Equipment

You just need a few kitchen tools to put together this zucchini bread recipe! (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)

• 2 lb loaf pan: Use a nonstick 5×10″ loaf pan for the perfect sized loaf of bread. If you have a smaller pan, like 1.5 lbs, you will probably need to increase the baking time.
• Box grater: A box grater creates perfect zucchini shreds to add into the batter.
• Citrus juicer and microplane: To get all the lime juice out of the fruit, use a citrus juicer. For easy zesting, use a microplane. If you don’t have a microplane, a cheese grater will work too.
• Hand mixer: I find the easiest way to mix the batter and frosting is to use a hand mixer or stand mixer.

1. Mix wet and dry ingredients separately: Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat together the brown sugar, eggs, and canola oil. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
2. Combine wet and dry mixtures: With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the batter, and mix until just combined.

3. Prep the zucchini and lime: Use a grater to grate the zucchini into small shreds, then add that into the batter, along with the lime zest.
4. Fold until well combined: Gently fold in the zucchini and lime zest, until everything is well-mixed.

5. Fill pan and bake: Transfer the batter to a 2 lb loaf pan lined with parchment paper, then bake until a toothpick comes out of the center clean.
6. Make the frosting, if using: While the bread is baking, you can make your frosting–it’s optional but delicious.
7. Cool completely before frosting: When the bread is done, remove it from the oven and cool completely. Once cooled, top it off with the prepared frosting, and devour!

💭Variations

I love this recipe as-is, but if you’re looking to switch things up, here are some other ideas!

• Leave it unfrosted. It tastes great on its own, or you can add a light dusting of powdered sugar or a thin glaze on top.
• Add nuts. Mix some crushed nuts directly into the batter for a bit of crunch. Try walnuts, pistachios, pecans, or almonds.
• Switch up the zest. This bread is also amazing with lemon or orange zest in place of the lime.
• Add fall flavors. To make this the perfect autumn treat, leave out the zest and add 2 tsp cinnamon. You can also add ginger, cloves, or allspice to increase the coziness factor.
• Make it chocolate-y. Add in a cup of mini chocolate chips for some extra sweetness.

📸Photo Tutorial: How to Make Pecan Snowball Cookies

Who’s ready to bake? Follow this photo tutorial to make the perfect batch of cookies! Full instructions are included in the recipe card above.