Wine Braised Pear Chantilly

This recipe is from Cooking Club of America's library, cookbook entitled "You Deserve Dessert - Member Recipes". This recipe comes from Holly Hill, Florida, USA. I made it for Christmas dinner 2007. The pears take on the color of the wine and become a festive bright red--I thought most appropriate for the holidays! Topped with snow-white whipped cream and toasted almonds, oh how pleasing to the eye and not to mention the taste buds!

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4  pears, ripened (Anjoy, Bartlett or Bosc)
• 3  cups dry red wine (Cabernet, Merlot or Zinfandel)
• 2  tablespoons sugar
• 2  cinnamon sticks
• 4  cloves, whole
• 1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly ground
• 4  slices  butter  poundcake
• 1  cup  whipping cream, heavy
• 2  tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1⁄4 cup  almonds, sliced and butter-toasted

Directions

1. Peel and core pears, leaving stems intact. (Note: I used a small melon-baller tool to carefully scoop the core out of each pear). Place pears in a non-reactive dutch oven with wine, sugar, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Simmer for 20 minutes, gently turning pears occasionally for even absorption/coloring. Remove pears and cool in refrigerator.
2. Simmer wine mixture until reduced to 2 cups syrup. Place cake slices in 4 dessert bowls.
3. In a medium bowl, beat whipping cream at medium speed until soft peeks form. Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla.
4. Place pears upright on cake slices; trim bottoms to stand if necessary. Remove cinnamon sticks and cloves from syrup and pour syrup over pears. Garnish with whipped cream and almond slices.