Spiced Chai Poached Pears are an elegant, easy dessert for the fall and winter. Firm Bosc pears are poached in diluted sweetened chai concentrate making the prep work for this recipe a breeze.
As the weather has cooled drinking Chai has become a daily treat in our house. We have a single cup coffee machine and make it in a flash with Chai K-cups. We keep chai concentrate in the fridge and my kids are drinking it iced too. The bold spices in the sweetened black tea speak to the season and make for a cozy drink next to a fire. It has gotten my mental wheels turning about what else to do with it. Spiced Chai Poached Pears is a simple new favorite dessert I’m sharing today!
You’ll note pear season is upon us. All sorts of varieties and hitting the grocery stores now just in time for the holidays. It’s a wonderful fruit to eat raw but also to feature in salads and certainly desserts. A few of my personal favorites are Caramelized Pear Upside Down Cake (such a beautiful presentation and gorgeous flavors) and Seckel Pear Soft Creme Tart. This list of Pear Perfection: 12 Gluten-Free Recipes gives even more recipe ideas!
Poaching pears is not a new idea. Often you’ll see them poached in wine, but Spiced Chai Poached Pears sounded fantastic to me and the result of this easy recipe does not disappoint. At the risk of being the ‘lazy recipe girl’ I use a spiced chai concentrate diluted with water, so your recipe prep work is coring and peeling the pears only.
For a pretty presentation this recipe calls to core the pears from the underside. I use an apple corer and a small paring knife to remove the bottom part of the core and the seeds leaving the stems intact. I have found that the core of some pears come out easily with the apple corer only and others require a bit of help from the paring knife too to ensure all the seeds are removed.
For this recipe I recommend Bosc pears. You’ll recognize them at the store as the tall, slender variety with a rougher brownish skin. They are a firmer variety of pear which works well to hold their beautiful shape through poaching and stand tall on a dessert plate when serving.
Ideally the pears would stay submerged while poaching to cook thoroughly however the pears will bob to the surface of the liquid as they cook. One way to address this is to place a flat saucepan lid (smaller than the diameter of the pot they are cooking in) on top of them to hold them down. It must be flat to not blemish the fruit. Alternatively, the liquid can be ladled on top of the pears periodically as they cook, or you can gently rotate them.
Serving the poached pears with a dollop of freshly whipped cream or ice cream makes an easy fall or winter dessert. They have a faint flavor of Chai without being overwhelming, so the sweet pear flavor comes through!
How to make Spiced Chai Poached Pears:
Spiced Chai Poached Pears
Pears poached in spiced chai are an easy, elegant dessert. Diluted sweetened chai concentrate is used making prep for this recipe a breeze. The final result are lightly spiced pears with the beautiful pear flavor shining through.
Ingredients
- 4 Bosc Pears peeled from the stem down leaving the stems intact
- Apple Corer
- Paring Knife
- 32 ounce box Spiced Chai Concentrate (sweetened)
- 32 ounces Water
Instructions
Using an apple corer and/or paring knife, core the pears from underneath (aproximately 2/3's into the pear just to remove the seeds). Peel the pears leaving the stems intact (refer to photos).
In a large saucepan or stock pot, combine the chai concentrate and water and bring to a low boil over medium heat. Place the pears in the liquid; either weight down with a flat-bottomed saucepan lid smaller in diameter than the cooking pot or ladle the liquid over the pears periodically to ensure all surfaces cook.
Kendal says
I can’t wait to try this recipe! My pear tree is covered in blooms and chai is one of my absolute favorites. Can I ask you what china pattern they are plated on? They look exactly like my great grandmothers.
UPDATE: I have registered the pattern on Replacements.com, a china company that has a china database and sells patterns. This is what I have: Pattern Code: H H2959
Description: Theo, Gold Encrusted, Green& Gold Bands
Pattern: H2959 by Haviland
My guess is the pattern number is a Replacements.com number not necessarily the actual Haviland name. If you log on there and use this pattern number you can check what the pattern looks like or email them for information on it (they may know the name; they are very helpful).
Toni Dash says
I would have to look up the pattern name. I CAN tell you this is MY grandmother’s wedding china (now mine; a gift for my wedding) and is made by Haviland. It was a pattern made in the Paris factory for Haviland that burned down after the china was made. I may have registered it on a china website. I’ll leave a message here if I can find the pattern.
KENDAL says
Thank you so much for looking into that for me! I too have my grandmothers china ?
Toni Dash says
Such a special keepsake isn’t it?
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
Looks wonderful!!
Megan says
These look so fancy!
Joyce Brewer says
I love pears. My son gobbled them up when he was younger.
Sarah says
I so want to make this for our Christmas party. This looks like a dessert that would be the hit of any party!
Randi says
What a gorgeous looking dessert … and so elegant too. Definitely trying this!
Sinisa says
Very interesting recipe. Pears are my favorite
Janis @MommyBlogExpert says
Your poached pears recipe looks so elegant, but I’m glad to see how easy this is to make. I’m going to have to make these during the holidays. Beautiful plating too!
Tonya says
This sounds like a great recipe to try! And the presentation looks so elegant. I love chai so I think this will be a hit for me.
Kathy says
I love having pears, and so do my daughters. These sound like they’d be really good. I think my daughters would really enjoy them as well.
brianne says
What a fun fall dish and dessert! I am going to make this one for the holidays!
Claudia Krusch says
I am always looking for new recipes to try/ I will have to add this Spiced Chai Poached Pears recipe to my meal plan for next week. I am sure it will be a big hit.
Sara Welch says
My freind would love this one. She is obsessed with pear recipes.
Kelly Hutchinson says
I have never tried to poach a pear, but this recipe sounds so good! This would be perfect for Thanksgiving!
Pam says
These are just so pretty. My son loves pears so he would love these poached chai pears.
Amy says
Oh my goodness are these too pretty to eat or what? I so want to try the pear with the whipped crem. Yum!
Dawn Lopez says
This is such an elegant dessert! I really love the presentation and I bet this would be a big hit for our holiday gatherings.
Toni Dash says
Thanks Dawn! I agree and love that it’s so darn easy (no one would guess, right?)
travel blogger says
These look so decadent! I have never tried these before, but this would be such a great addition to our Thanksgiving menu. I will have to give this a try. Yum!
reesa says
My husband just bought pears last week and was looking for a dessert recipe to make with them. This is perfect, we love Chai flavoring!
Toni Dash says
We do too which is why it sprang to mind I think!
Maureen says
Spiced Chair poached pears looks interesting, I haven’t had anything like this before but am willing to give the recipe a try. Thanks for sharing this!
Liz Mays says
This is such an impressive looking dessert. I’m very interested in how that chai flavor works with the pear!
Jeanette says
Those look absolutely fabulous! I love how fancy they look and how delicious they sound like they taste. This is a perfect holiday treat.
Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle says
Holy. Moly. Those pears look amazing! I’ve had poached pears, and I love them. I can’t wait to try this variation. You always have the most interesting recipes!
Toni Dash says
Awe, thanks Stacie! I hope you’ll try and love these pears!
Pam says
I love poached pears too. Not as much as my son does though. He will love these.
robin rue says
These sound all kinds of awesome. I have never had a poached pear before, but now I am making this today!!
Dogvills says
Interesting recipe. This looks like a delicious treat to have this fall season. The flavors of chai infused in the pear and served with whipped cream sounds so good!