Recipe courtesy of Esther Benaim and Maggie McKeown, Great Cooks and the T Spot.
ingredients
directions
Infuse tea in boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes depending on preferred taste. Place in large pot and add sugar. Bring mixture to just under a boil. Once sugar has dissolved add peeled and cored pears and reduce heat to a simmer. Poach pears for 15 to 20 minutes until soft. Reserve poaching liquid. Cool to room temperature.
Mix cheese, vanilla and ginger with a fork. Add 2 tbsp. of poaching liquid to cheese mixture so that it is soft enough to pipe. The mixture should have a creamy texture. Place mixture in a piping bag and fill the holes in the pears.
Place 1 cup of poaching liquid and orange zest in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. In a separate pot combine cream and honey and heat until warm. When warm add cream mixture slowly to poaching liquid.
To serve place 1 pear on a plate. Spoon sauce around the pear. Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon, nutmeg and a fresh sprig of mint.