Poached Pears with Raspberry Sauce

You can sweeten this recipe with honey or sugar if you want, but I like it just the way it is.

Straining the sauce is optional but not necessary if you don't mind the raspberry seeds. If you want to get even fancier, remove the skin and poach the pears whole with the stem on. They'll look really pretty on the plate.

Poached Pears with Raspberry Sauce

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 3 medium pears
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup frozen raspberries
• 6 tablespoons Cool Whip (regular)

Directions

1. Peel the pears, then cut them in half and remove the core with a melon baller. Remove the stem with a knife.
2. In a nonstick pot, combine the juice, water, cinnamon stick and vanilla and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Add the pears and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes until pears are tender (stick a knife in them). Remove the pears with a slotted spoon and set aside. Remove and discard cinnamon stick.
3. Add the frozen raspberries to the pot and continue to simmer until the sauce has reduced to a syrup. Add the pears back just to coat then transfer to serving plates. Top each pear with 1 tablespoon sauce and a dollop of Cool Whip.