Spiced Pears

We both loved this dessert, which is an adaptation of a recipe from Slimming World 'Love Desserts' cookbook. Well worth the syns. I love the idea of fruit soups, and am thinking of making a few more in the future.

Serves 2

5½ syns on Extra Easy

2 firm dessert pears

1 cinnamon stick

1 tbsp black peppercorn

3 star anise

2 tsp whole allspice

1 dried chilli

75 ml red wine

sugar free apple and blackcurrant cordial

3 tbsp sweetener

Fat free fromage frais with sweetener and cinnamon to serve

Cut a small slice off the bottom of each pear to make it stand up. Peel the fruits but leave the stalk intact. Place in a saucepan with the spices, sweetener, wine and enough diluted cordial to cover them completely. Simmer for ten minutes or so until they are just cooked. You don't want them too soft. Ladle into shallow bowls with some of the juice as a fruit soup to go with it. Serve with fromage frais flavoured with sweetener and cinnamon. 

 

Pear and Star Anise Terrine

Serves 4

Syn Free on Extra Easy*

* Providing you use the cooked pears as your Healthy Extra B.

4 ripe pears, cored

1 star anise, finely grated

¼ cup sweetener plus extra to sprinkle

1 tbsp lemon juice

In a small saucepan, heat 1 tbsp water with the sweetener and stir until beginning to go syrupy. Pout into the bottom of a greased pudding basin.

Fill a large bowl ¾ full with cold water and add a lemon juice. Using a mandolin, very thinly slice the pears, immediately plunging them into the lemon water to stop them going brown. Carefully place the pear slices in the pudding basin, overlapping the slices as you go. Sprinkle with sweetener and a pinch of star anise between each layer. When all the pear slices have been used up, cover with foil and place in a deep baking dish. Pour boiling water around the basin until it comes about half way up the sides. Bake at 120°C for 1¼-1½ hours. Carefully invert on to a serving plate and serve with fat free yogurt or fromage frais.