Winter isn’t the best time of year for fruit, but thankfully Bosc pears are in season from late September- through April and perfect for poaching with beautiful warming spices! I made a red wine poached pear for the Nightmare Before Christmas Murder Mystery that was delicious. I plan to recreate that dish sometime in the future for this site but for now here’s a simplified version PLUS a homemade infused vegan ice cream that is sure to please everyone at a gathering!

Strain Pairing:

Recipe-

Poached Pears –

• Combine all the ingredients (except the pears) into a 2.5-quart pot
• Bring the liquid to a boil then reduce to a simmer
• Peel the pears and leave the stem on
• Place the pears in the pouching liquid then cover it with a lid to keep the steam in
• Poach for about 10 minutes. Pierce the pear with a folk or knife to check doneness . They should be tender and easy to cut through. If there is resistance poach for another 5-10 minutes, checking often.
• Take the pears out of the pot and place into a heat proof container
• pour the pouching liquid over the pears.
• Cool the pears in the poaching liquid overnight or for at least 6 hours before serving

• First, soften the cashews by soaking them in a bowl of hot water for an hour or overnight
• Add the oats and half the milk into a saucepan. Simmer until the oats are soft
• Drain the cashews and blend them with the rest of the milk until smooth
• Add the oats to the cashew milk along with the rest of the remaining ingredients
• Blend everything until smooth then place the mixture in the freezer for at least 4 hours