Power Mix Poached Pears

This is a wonderful dessert which can be enjoyed either hot or cold.

Ingredients:

• 5 Bosc (brown) Pears
• 1 litre of water
• 500ml of white wine
•  2 cups of caster sugar
• 3 tbsp of Power Mix Tea
• 1 vanilla pod

Instructions:

1. Peel all 5 pears and remove the core using a apple corer or a melon baller, the pears should appear to still be whole but with a hole in the bottom where the core was removed.
2. In a large pot combine the water, wine and sugar. Place on the stove and bring to the boil.
3. Once at a boil add the power mix, vanilla and pears and reduce the heat till at a simmer.
4. Continue simmering for 40 minutes.
5. Check the pears have been cooked all the way through by inserting a knife through until you reach the centre. If the knife comes out smoothly with no resistance your pears are ready. If it feels crisp or firm the pears need to continue simmering and continue to check them every 10 minutes until done (keep poaching liquid).
6. Once the pears are finished they can be served hot or cold and are perfect with ice-cream or custard. If you are not serving your pears immediately keep them stored in the poaching liquid.

Jamie Oliver also has a fabulous Walnut Cream recipe which would be amazing with these poached pears. Ingredients:

• 150g shelled walnuts
• 255g mascarpone (an Italian cheese made from cream)
• 1 orange
• sugar

Instructions:

1. Roast 100g of the walnuts on a baking tray in the oven (220 degrees C) for about 5 minutes.
   Be sure to keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.
2. When the walnuts are done, either whiz them in a food processor or bash them up with a pestle and mortar until you have a paste.
3. Whip up the mascarpone with the walnut paste, the zest and juice of the orange and enough sugar to sweeten.
4. Serve this cream with the baked pears, the extra walnuts, some orange peel and some of the cooking syrup.

Yum!!