Tea Poached Pears with Earl Grey Ice Cream

Tea Poached Pears with Earl Grey Ice Cream is a recipe for pears poached in a tea-infused syrup and paired with a creamy homemade Earl Grey Tea Ice Cream.

Creature comforts are well and good, but none so much as the little rituals that accompany them. It’s the time we carve our for ourselves throughout the day, that permission we give ourselves to enjoy what makes us feel cozy and safe, and even pampered. That matters just as much.

The books on my bedside table beckon, but the joy of reading them only exists if I make the time to read before bed. That may not seem complicated, but trust me, it can be.
For years, I found myself working late into the night, ignoring my love of books, to deal with deadlines, projects, or worse, those mundane household chores that never seem to be done.

2014 was the year that I learned how to turn things off, to actually adhere to my own bedtime, and to reconnect with reading for pleasure. This small change brought me happiness. It may not have given me more sleep, but it has given me the comfort that only comes when you can snuggle under a blanket and lose yourself in a world within pages.

This year, I have added a new ritual to my mornings. Like many of you, I am tempted to pick up my phone and immediately start sifting through Twitter and Facebook, and emails.

But now, I pick up another book, not a novel, but one that guides me through daily meditation and introspection. It brings me peace and sets the tone for my day, and I find myself circling back to this morning reflection as I travel through the hours.

That cup of tea I pour every afternoon and every evening. It’s much, much more than a hot drink. It’s that pause button in the middle of the day, it’s the beginning of the unwinding for the evening.

It’s the ritual of setting the kettle to boil, of steeping the tea. And when my husband is here, it’s sharing that time together. Of making sure we take that break. I never anticipated that there would be so much importance in a single cup of tea, but there truly is.

Tea Poached Pears with Earl Grey Ice Cream

I like to joke that my tea is a spa in a cup, but even more fun is cooking with tea. Do you remember the time I made Chai Tea Ice Cream? Well, I had a chance to revisit tea infused ice cream and desserts when I made Tea Poached Pears with Earl Grey Ice Cream.

Beautiful pears poached in a tea infused syrup with dried cherries paired with ice cream perfumed with earl grey tea are the epitome of elegance and calm, and of comfort. I find the process of making ice cream very calming as it is, the coaxing of the custard with a wooden spoon is oddly therapeutic to me.

Disclosure: This post was originally brought to you in collaboration with KitchenAid. Thank you for supporting brands that I love – posts like these help behind the scenes at Kitchen Confidante. Thank you for making my blog a part of your day!

More Desserts Made with Fruit

Lemon-Berry Cheesecake Parfaits
Blackberry Crumble
Strawberry Shortcake (Vegan)
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Cherry Dutch Baby Pancake with Pecan Streusel

Tea Poached Pears with Earl Grey Ice Cream

Tea Poached Pears with Earl Grey Ice Cream is a recipe for pears poached in a tea-infused syrup and paired with a creamy homemade Earl Grey Tea Ice Cream.

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Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Inactive Time 1 hour 45 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 783kcal

Author Liren Baker

Ingredients

For the Earl Grey Ice Cream

• ▢ 2 cups heavy cream
• ▢ 1 cup whole milk
• ▢ 2/3 cup sugar divided
• ▢ 3 Earl Grey tea bags
• ▢ 1 vanilla pod split and beans scraped
• ▢ pinch of salt
• ▢ 4 egg yolks

For the Tea Poached Pears:

• ▢ 4 cups water
• ▢ 2 cups sugar either brown or granulated will work
• ▢ 3 Earl Grey tea bags
• ▢ 1 cinnamon stick
• ▢ 3/4 cup dried cherries
• ▢ 3 large pears peeled, halved and cored (or 6 small pears, peeled and kept whole)

Instructions

For the Earl Grey Ice Cream

• In a medium sauce pan, combine the heavy cream, whole milk, 1/3 cup sugar, tea, vanilla beans and pod, and salt, and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Use a wooden spoon to stir, dissolving the sugar, and bring the cream mixture to about 175 degrees (about 8 minutes). Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and allow the tea infused cream steep for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a the bowl of a stand mixer furnished with the whisk attachment, and slowly add the sugar, whisking until the eggs are light in color and thick. When the cream finishes steeping, ladle 1 cup of the hot cream in a drizzle into the eggs while whisking to temper. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan, and gently cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for about 5-8 minutes. You will know the custard is ready when you are able to coat the back of your wooden spoon and run your finger down, leaving a line.
• Prepare an ice bath. Strain the mixture into the prepared bowl of the ice bath. Let the ice cream custard cool for 1 hour in the ice bath, stirring periodically. The ice cream may then be churned immediately or, if you like, the following day (keep the mixture chilled in the refrigerator until then).
• Pour the custard into the chilled bowl of an ice cream maker and churn for about 30 minutes. It may be served immediately or stored in an airtight container in the freezer.

For the Tea Poached Pears:

• Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a kettle. As the water comes to a boil, combine the sugar, tea, cinnamon and dried cherries in a medium saucepan. Add the boiling water, and stir to dissolve the sugar. Place the pears into the liquid, then heat over medium heat, and simmer the pears for about 15-20 minutes or until tender. If you wish, place a plate over the pears to keep them submerged in the tea as it simmers.
• When the pears are tender, remove and cool the pears. Bring the syrup to to a boil and let it reduce by half. Strain the syrup, and let it cool before chilling in the refrigerator. The pears and syrup can be prepared in advance; chill in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.
• To serve, place a pear half in a shallow bowl and pour some of the syrup over the top. Serve with a scoop of Earl Grey ice cream.

Nutrition

Calories: 783kcal | Carbohydrates: 119g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 243mg | Sodium: 66mg | Potassium: 230mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 107g | Vitamin A: 1965IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 145mg | Iron: 1mg

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