If you’re celebrating a special occasion and need something easy that will wow your visitors or a special someone, these Slow-Cooker Honey White Wine Pears will certainly do the trick.
Shall we get cooking?
Slow-Cooker Honey White Wine Pears
- 6 Bosc pears
- 1 750ml bottle fruity white wine
- ½ cup clover honey
- 1 vanilla bean split
- 1 whole cinnamon stick
- 2 thick slices of fresh ginger
- Pinch of salt
- Optional: Devonshire Cream or Sweetened Whipped Cream
Directions:
Peel the pears from bottom to the top leaving the stem intact. Carefully place the pears in a 4-quart slow cooker just large enough to hold the pears in a standing upright position.
Mix the wine and honey in a medium bowl until combined. Pour the honeyed wine over the pears, and add the cinnamon stick, salt, ginger slices, and vanilla bean. Set your slow cooker on high for 3 ½ to 4 hours or until the pears are tender.
Gently remove the pears with a slotted spoon to a serving bowl. Allow the pears to come to room temperature. Pour the remaining pear cooking liquid into a strainer over a medium saucepan. Bring the liquid to a boil and reduce to half until it reaches a syrupy consistency. Making the syrup will take about 20 minutes.
To serve these Slow-Baked Honey White Wine Pears, place a pear in a decorative serving dish and pour the pear syrup over the pear adding some Devonshire cream or whipped cream on the side. You can also cover and refrigerate the pears before serving. Allow the pears and sauce to come to room temperature about an hour before serving.
Variations:
Slow-Cooker Red Wine & Honey Pears – Substitute with red wine. Omit the ginger slices, replace with 2 whole star anise, and zest strips from one orange. Follow the same instructions, and you will adore the results.
Oven Method – Prepare the pears the same way. The only difference is you use a Dutch oven, preheat your oven to 250° F and bake for 4 to 5 hours or until tender. Prepare the remaining liquid as directed above.
Notes: Use a good quality honey as well as a good quality wine to make these Slow-Cooker Honey White Wine Pears. Moscato, Riesling, or Sauvignon Blanc wine varietals are a few good choices. For those who aren’t into cooking with wine, you can use apple, pear or white grape juice in its place. I prefer Bosc pears for baking and poaching. Any firm pear will work, just make sure the pears are suited for that purpose. If you don’t have a slow cooker that allows the pears to stand up, then lay the pears down. Make sure the pears are almost covered with the liquid. Once cooked, I store the pears and wine/honey syrup separately until I’m ready to serve them. It will take about an hour to bring both the pears and syrup to room temperature before serving.
Tip: If you’re in the market for a slow cooker, look for one with heating elements on the side and bottom, not ones with the heating elements only on the base. If your slow cooker heats from the bottom, follow your manufacturer’s directions for layering ingredients and choosing the right temperature.
When it comes to slow cookers, and this Slow-Baked Honey White Wine Pears, it is all about “set it and forget it.” It’s easy peasy and so worth the time it takes to make it. Anyone you serve these to will love them.
Because these Slow-Baked Honey White Wine Pears are so elegant and beautiful, I like to serve them in a pretty bowl or dessert dish. Besides, it adds a nice wow factor.
If you try these delightful and elegant Slow-Baked Honey White Wine Pears, drop me a line and let me know what you think.
Time to eat…
If you enjoyed my “Slow-Baked Honey White Wine Pears,” check out my Slow-Baked Honey Red Wine Pears, Stuffed Baked Apples, or my Baked Pears in The Microwave and Rustic Apple Pear Tart. Enjoy.
P.S. Take a moment to check out and purchase some of the tools I used for this “Slow-Baked Honey White Wine Pears” below. 🙂