Red Wine Poached Pears with Red Wine Caramel Sauce

Serving Size 4

Ingredients

• 4 Pears, peeled and core removed from bottom to top with a melon baller (top stem intact)
• 1 bottle dry Virginia Wine
• 2 ½ c. sugar, divided
• 2 snips vanilla bean
• 1 T. whole cloves
• 1 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 stick butter, room temperature, cut into 1 T. pieces

Preperation:

1. Melt the sugar in the wine in a saucepan over medium heat. 
2. Add the spices and simmer 2 minutes then add the pears.  Simmer moving the pears frequently until the pears are slightly tender . 
3. Remove the pears and strain out the spices. 
4. Return the liquid to the pan and add ½ c. sugar. 
5. Simmer to reduce to about ½ c. liquid. 
6. Remove from heat and add the butter with a whisk one tablespoon at a time.  Whisk well after each addition.

Serving:

1. Lay out 4 plates and drizzle a bit of the caramel over each plate.  
2. Top with a pear and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Add another small drizzle of caramel and serve.