Name: Pears in port with meringue cream
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 8
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 600ml port; 140g caster sugar; 2 cinnamon sticks halved; 8 ripe but firm pears peeled with the stalk intact; 425ml double cream; 1 tbsp icing sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 2 meringues shells, broken into pieces (bought ones are fine); good pinch of cinnamon

Home
Recipes
Pears in port with meringue cream

Pears in port with meringue cream

Sara Buenfeld

Save recipe

Serves 8

Easy

Prep: 35 mins

Cook: 30 mins

Plus overnight cooling

A star rating of 5 out of 5.3 ratingsRate

loading...

This festive make-ahead pudding is a great way to use up leftover port (or red wine)

Skip to ingredients

Alternatives

Complete the dish

Showing items 1 to 3 of 3

Mini Christmas cakes

A star rating of 4.9 out of 5.12 ratings

Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

600ml port
140g caster sugar
2 cinnamon sticks

halved
8 ripe but firm pears

peeled with the stalk intact

For the meringue cream

425ml double cream
1 tbsp icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 meringues

shells, broken into pieces (bought ones are fine)
good pinch of cinnamon

Keep the screen awake with cook mode on the Good Food app.

Nutrition: per serving

kcal489
fat29g
saturates16g
carbs49g
sugars49g
fibre2g
protein2g
salt0.06g

low

Method

step 1

Pour the port into a large pan with 600ml water, add the sugar and cinnamon, then heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the pears, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 20-30 mins until tender all the way through. They are ready when a cocktail stick can be easily pushed through each one. Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to cook the pears in 2 batches using the same port syrup, or turn the pears several times as they cook so they become an even colour. Let the pears cool in their syrup, preferably overnight to allow the syrup to really stain them. Will keep for 3 days in the fridge.
step 2

Check the consistency of the syrup. If it is very thin, boil it in a pan to reduce the amount and concentrate the flavour.
step 3

To serve, whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla until it holds its shape, then fold in the meringue. Sprinkle with the cinnamon. Arrange the pears in a shallow dish and spoon over the syrup. Allow guests to help themselves to both pears and cream.

RECIPE TIPS

SPICE IT UP

For a more complex spicy flavour, add star anise and black peppercorns to the syrup.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, January 2010

Comments, questions and tips

Rate this recipe

What is your star rating out of 5?1 star out of 52 stars out of 53 stars out of 54 stars out of 55 stars out of 5

Choose the type of message you'd like to post

CommentQuestionTip

Overall rating

A star rating of 5 out of 5.3 ratings

Get 3 months of Good Food All Access

Get 3 months of Good Food All Access for just £6. Find triple-tested recipes that take the stress out of deciding what to cook, spend less time planning, and more time enjoying the season.

Subscribe now