A no-fuss dessert that showcases one of the best fruits of the autumn, pears, with the summer bounty of Helen Browning’s Organic blackcurrant spirit. You can also swop out the pears for 500g of cherries (fresh or frozen) or peaches. Store in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- 6 firm-but-ripe pears
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Water
- 500ml of white wine
- 120ml blackcurrant spirit
- 225g caster sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 120g raisins
Peel and core pears – keep whole with stem intact. Put in a bowl of water mixed with lemon juice.
Put wine, blackcurrant spirit, 225g sugar, cinnamon stick, and raisins in a medium saucepan. Bring these ingredients to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Remove the pear from the lemon water and add to the simmering wine mixture. Cover the saucepan and simmer for about 20 minutes. The cooking time will very much depend on the ripeness of your pears – they should be tender all the way through when pierced with a cocktail stick. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
Remove pears from the pan, then boil the liquid to reduce it by half so that it’s syrupy. Serve each pear with the cooled syrup, a few raisins and whipped cream (optional).
