Poached pears simmered in an amaretto, vanilla, and cinnamon syrup until spoon-tender, then topped with chocolate curls. Easy, make-ahead, and gluten-free.
- 6 medium Bosc pears Ripe but firm. Or 7 small (Note 1)
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup granulated sugar White or brown
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice Freshly squeezed. Up to 3 Tbsp for a tarter syrup
- 1 cup Amaretto liqueur Or Grand Marnier, apricot, or peach liqueur (Note 2)
- 2 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 star anise Optional
- 1 cinnamon stick Optional
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Boil the syrup. In a large pot where the pears fit standing up in one snug layer, stir together 3 cups water, 1 cup granulated sugar, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 cup Amaretto liqueur, 2 Tbsp vanilla extract, 1 star anise, and 1 cinnamon stick. Bring it to a boil over medium heat. No alcohol? See Note 2.
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Peel the pears. While the syrup heats, peel 6 medium Bosc pears whole with a Y-peeler, leaving the stems on. If you like, core them from the bottom with a melon baller and slice a thin piece off the base so they stand. Peel each one right before it goes in (Note 1).
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Add a parchment lid. Lower the pears into the syrup. Cut a circle of parchment paper slightly smaller than the pot, snip a small hole in the middle, and press it onto the surface so the tops stay under the syrup (Note 3).
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Simmer until tender. Keep it at a gentle simmer, never a hard boil, for 10 to 30 minutes, until a paring knife slides into the thickest part with no resistance and the edges look slightly see-through. Start checking at 10 minutes; halves cook faster (Note 4).
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Soak. Take the pot off the heat and leave the pears in the syrup for at least 2 hours, or overnight in the fridge for the most flavor.
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Warm the chocolate. Microwave 1 dark chocolate bar in 2- to 3-second bursts, about 15 seconds in all, until it is barely warm to the touch.
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Shave the curls. Hold the bar with a paper towel and run a Y-peeler along its edge. If it breaks into shards, warm it a few seconds more.
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Reduce the syrup (optional). Lift the pears out, strain out the spices, and simmer the syrup until it has reduced by half and lightly coats a spoon. It thickens fast near the end and more as it cools.
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Top and serve. Set the pears in shallow bowls, spoon some syrup or the reduced glaze over them, and scatter the curls on top. Serve cold, or warm the pears in their syrup over low heat first.
1. Pears: Bosc holds its shape best. Anjou works if it is ripe but still firm; Bartlett and Comice fall apart. Peeled pears brown fast, so peel each one right before it goes in the pot.
2. Alcohol-free: simmering does not cook off all the alcohol. For an alcohol-free version, replace the amaretto with 1 cup more water and add 1 tsp almond extract.
3. Parchment lid: fold a square of parchment into a narrow triangle, hold the point over the center of the pot, and trim the wide end at the edge. Snip off the tip for the steam hole. If a pear still floats above the syrup, turn it over halfway through.
4. Pear halves: for a tart, peel, halve, and core the pears before poaching. Halves cook faster, so start checking early.
5. Leftover syrup: pour it over ice with a splash of water for a cold drink.
6. Make ahead: poach the pears up to 5 days ahead and keep them in their syrup in the fridge. Shave the curls ahead too and keep them covered somewhere cool.
7. Storage: up to 5 days in the fridge, covered with their syrup. Freezing is not recommended; the pears turn soft and watery.
8. Simmer, never boil: a hard boil knocks the pears together and turns the outside mushy before the center is tender.