Pomegranate Poached Pears With Cheesecake Filling Recipes

BAKED PEARS IN SPICED POMEGRANATE SYRUP

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
• In a small non-reactive sauce pan (such as stainless steel, glass, enameled or nonstick), combine the pomegranate juice and sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat, then add the lemon juice, cinnamon sticks and cloves.
• Arrange the pears cut side down in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Pour the pomegranate syrup over the pears, and place the dish in the oven. Bake for about 45 minutes, basting occasionally, until the pears are tender and easily pierced with a sharp knife. If serving hot, proceed to the next step; otherwise, cover and chill until ready to serve.
• Place the pears in shallow bowls and spoon the syrup over top. Sprinkle the pomegranate arils around the pears and garnish with cinnamon sticks, if desired. Serve with fork and knife for cutting the pear, and a spoon for the syrup. (The dish may be served hot, cold or room temperature.)
• Note: Be sure to use firm, not ripe, pears. It's best to peel them with a vegetable peeler and core them with a mellon baller.

SPICED PEARS AND POMEGRANATE

Steps:

• Place the sliced pears and pomegranate seeds into a bowl. Toss with lemon juice to coat. Combine the brown sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a small cup or bowl, then mix into the fruit. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to blend the flavors. Serve in individual dishes, and garnish with a sprinkling of chopped almonds and a sprig of mint.

POMEGRANATE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Prep: 50 minutes.
• Bake: 1 hour, 25 minutes.
• Cool: 2 hours.
• Chill: 4 hours.
• Prepare Pomegranate Sauce.
• Preheat oven to 350°F In a mixing bowl beat butter on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar. Beat until combined. Add 1 egg; beat well. Beat in 1 1/4 cups flour until combined. Divide dough in half. Cover and refrigerate one portion.
• Spread unrefrigerated dough half on bottom of ungreased 10-inch springform pan with sides removed, spreading dough to edges. Place on baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely. When cool, attach sides of pan. Press chilled dough onto sides to a height of 1 3/4 inches, using a thin metal spatula to spread dough.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325°F For filling, in an extra large mixing bowl beat cream cheese and 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar until fluffy. Beat in the remaining flour on low speed until smooth. Add remaining 3 eggs and 1 tablespoon vanilla all at once, beating on low speed just until combined. Stir in 1/2 cup sour cream, the lemon peel, and 3/4 cup of the pomegranate seeds.
• Pour filling into crust-lined pan. Place on baking sheet. Bake for 65 minutes or until edges are puffed and center jiggles slightly when gently shaken. Remove from oven.
• Stir together remaining sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. Spread sour cream mixture over top of baked cheesecake. Return to oven; bake for 10 minutes more. Remove from oven. Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes. Loosen crust from sides of pan. Cool for 30 minutes more. Remove sides of pan; cool completely. Cover; chill 4 hours or overnight.
• Remove cheesecake and Pomegranate Sauce from refrigerator 15 minutes before serving. Spoon some sauce over top of cheesecake; pile remaining 3/4 cup pomegranate seeds in center of cheesecake. To serve, slice cheesecake. Pass remaining sauce.
• *TIP* Spoon sour cream mixture on the puffed edges, then carefully spread toward the center.
• EACH SERVING WITH SAUCE: 490 cal, 33 g fat (20 g sat. fat), 143 mg chol, 246 mg sodium, 42 g carbo, 8 g pro. Daily Values: 24% vit. A, 6% vit. C, 9% calcium. 10% iron.
• Pomegranate Sauce (start to finish: 18 min).
• In a saucepan bring pomegranate juice to boiling. Reduce heat, boil gently, uncovered, until reduced to 1 cup (10-12 minutes. Stir together brown sugar and cornstarch; add to juice. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Transfer to bowl; cover surface with clear plastic wrap. Cool to room temperature. Store, covered, in refrigerator until serving. Use to top Pomegranate Cheesecake.
• EACH SERVING: 33 cal, 3 mg sodium, 8 g carbo. Daill values: 5% vit. C, 1% iron.

POMEGRANATE WITH PEARS AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Stir goat cheese in a small bowl until smooth. Core pear halves with a melon baller or small spoon and fill each cavity with 1 tablespoon cheese. (Pears can then be sliced again into smaller wedges, if desired.) Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.

POMEGRANATE-POACHED PEARS WITH CHEESECAKE FILLING

Steps:

• Bring juice, water and 1/4 cup sugar to boil in 2-qt. saucepan, stirring frequently until sugar is completely dissolved. Add pear halves; simmer on medium-low heat 20 min. or just until tender, stirring occasionally.
• Remove pears from liquid. Place on 4 dessert plates. Bring liquid to boil; cook on medium heat 30 min. or until liquid is reduced to 1/3 cup, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, mix Neufchatel and remaining sugar until blended. Gently stir in COOL WHIP until blended. Fill pear halves with Neufchatel mixture; drizzle with pomegranate sauce.

POMEGRANATE POACHED PEARS

Steps:

• Peel pears, leaving the stem in tact. Place pears on their sides in a large saucepan and add butter, Chardonnay, pomegranate juice, and vanilla. Cook on medium heat until the liquid starts to simmer.
• Cover and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. As the pears are cooking, turn gently as needed so they color evenly.
• Once the pears are tender, gently remove pears to a plate.
• Boil down the remaining liquid until slightly thickened. Spoon reduced sauce over pears and serve with pomegranate seeds.

POACHED SECKEL PEAR WITH POMEGRANATE, CABRALES CHEESE, AND SZECHUAN PEPPER ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Szechuan Pepper Ice Cream
• 1. In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, cream, and peppercorns and cook over medium-high heat until the mixture comes to a gentle boil. Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and allow to infuse for 20 minutes.
• 2. Strain the milk mixture and return it to the saucepan. Reheat until the mixture just begins to boil. Remove from the heat.
• 3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar vigorously until pale. Whisk about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into the yolks, then return this mixture to the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon and reaches 175°F (79°C) on an instant-read thermometer; do not let the mixture boil, or the egg yolks will curdle. Remove the pot from the heat. Pass the ice cream base through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Set the bowl in an ice bath and stir frequently until cold. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the ice cream base for at least 4 hours.
• 4. Process the base in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions (be careful not to overchurn the ice cream or it will become grainy). Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and freeze until ready to serve.
• Poached Pears with Pomegranate
• 1. In a medium saucepan, bring the pomegranate juice and black pepper to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the pears and reduce the heat to medium-low. Poach the pears in the simmering juice until tender, about 15 minutes. Cool completely at room temperature.
• 2. Transfer the pears, still in the liquid, to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Pomegranate Sauce
• Pour the poaching liquid in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue to boil the liquid until it has reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Pass the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and cool.
• Baked Almond Diamonds
• 1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (191°C). Coat the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• 2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy and well blended, about 2 minutes. Add the almond flour and mix until blended. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the flour and mix until blended. Scrape the almond mixture into the prepared pan, smoothing it into an even layer. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until golden brown. Place the pan on a wire rack and cool completely.
• 3. Using a 2-inch-long by 1-inch-wide diamond-shaped pastry cutter, cut out 8 diamonds of baked almond cream. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
• Assembly
• Cut each Poached Pear with Pomegranate in half crosswise and remove the cores from the bottom halves. Place each pear bottom standing up on a plate and top with a slice of Cabrales cheese. Replace the pear tops. Glaze the pears with some of the Pomegranate Sauce, letting some of the sauce drip onto the plates. Place a Baked Almond Diamond on each plate and top with a scoop of Szechuan Pepper Ice Cream.

POACHED PEARS WITH VANILLA-POMEGRANATE SYRUP

Steps:

• Cut pomegranates in half. Remove seeds from one half; reserve (you should have about 1/2 cup seeds). Extract juice from remaining halves with a citrus juicer. Strain into a medium saucepan. (You should have about 3/4 cup juice.)
• Add honey, vanilla bean and seeds, and 4 cups water to pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.
• Carefully add pears. Cover, and cook until pears are tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pears to a plate; let cool slightly. Remove vanilla bean halves from poaching liquid; halve again lengthwise, reserving for garnish. Reserve 6 tablespoons poaching liquid.
• To serve, divide pears among 4 bowls; sprinkle with reserved pomegranate seeds, dividing evenly. Drizzle each bowl with 1 1/2 tablespoons poaching liquid, and garnish with a vanilla bean quarter. Serve warm or at room temperature.