Food 52

Pear Confit With Cardamom Crème Fraîche

Infuse your home with the warm aroma of spices like clove, star anise, cardamom, and cinnamon with this easy yet elegant dessert. Much like making a mulled beverage, this pear confit recipe calls for a bottle of wine, lots of flavorful spices, sugar, and citrus to slowly soak and cook the pears until soft and tender. For best results, use hearty and sturdy pears like Bosc, which hold their shape while cooking down; if you can’t get your hands on this variety, Anjou or Bartlett pears work well, too. Additionally, you can easily substitute the bottle of rosé this recipe calls for with what you already may have at home. Some good options include white wines like a Riesling, Moscato, or Pinot Grigio or red wines like Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon, which impart a photo-worthy pink hue. Also, as the pears confit in the cooking liquid, they may bob around or float to the top. To help them cook more evenly, create a parchment paper lid (aka a cartouche) to keep them fully submerged for maximum flavor absorption. To confit the pears in the liquid, you’ll want to use a pot or pan with deeper, straight walls—like All-Clad’s D3 Stainless 3-Quart Sauté Pan with Lid—that retains heat well and distributes it evenly. When ready to serve, add a spoonful of cardamom-infused whipped crème fraîche for a creamy and light sweet treat perfect for the holidays.