Chai-Spiced Bosc Pears With Pound Cake

Submitted by dicentra

"Holey Yum-oly! From Cooking Light."

 

• Ready In: 30mins
• Ingredients: 11
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 2 cups late-harvest riesling wine
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup pear nectar
• 25 cardamom pods, crushed
• 12 whole cloves
• 3 (3 inch) cinnamon sticks, broken
• 2 tablespoons black tea leaves
• 4 peeled bosc pears, cored and halved
• 1⁄4 cup mascarpone cheese
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 (10 3/4 ounce) frozen low-fat pound cake, loaf thawed and cut into 8 slices 8 slices

directions

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to a boil.
2. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.
3. Stir in tea leaves; simmer for 2 minutes. Drain wine mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl; discard solids.
4. Return wine mixture to pan; add pear halves, cut sides down. Cover; simmer 15 minutes or until tender.
5. Remove pears with a slotted spoon; place in a shallow dish. Set pears aside; keep warm.
6. Bring wine mixture to a boil over medium-high heat; cook until reduced to 1 cup (about 10 minutes).
7. Add mascarpone, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Remove from heat; add butter, stirring until butter melts.
8. Place 1 pound cake slice on each of 8 plates, and top each slice with 1 pear half.
9. Spoon about 2 tablespoons sauce over each serving. Serve warm.