The cover of Kate Zuckerman's cookbook has been taunting me with the photo of flawlessly poached pears. They are perfectly shaped golden bodies with dark brown tops, sitting gracefully in a pool of caramelized goodness.

Until recently, I hadn't entertained the right audience for poached pears, especially since I'm more prone to try more intricate baked goods. But I decided to make an elegant 4 course menu and wanted to end with something light. Enter in delicate pears poached in moscato with ginger, cardamom, and tangerine.

The smell alone will entice hordes of hungry people to storm your kitchen and beg for a taste. But hold strong! Make them wait until the pears have cooled and the syrup has reduced to near mellifluous consistency, and then sit and enjoy.

As a side note, this may be one of the simplest yet satisfying ways to finish a meal.

Add sugar, tangerine peel, fresh ginger and cardamom to a large pot. Pour 2 bottles of moscato into the pot and heat over high heat until boiling.

...Please note it is acceptable to use 2 bottles - 1 glass of wine if you wish to do a little taste test...

While the wine heats, peel pears, keeping the stems on if possible. Using a melon baller, scoop out the core from below, removing all the seeds.

Gently place the pears in the liquid and reduce temperature until gently simmering. Cook for 20-30 minutes until tender - a paring knife should slip easily into the pears' flesh.

Remove the pears and allow to cool to room temperature. Increase heat under the remaining wine and boil, uncovered for at least 30 minutes until the syrup ha reduced by half and turned a delicious deadly golden color. It will be the consistency of maple syrup.

Serve the pears in a small bowl drizzled with hot syrup.

Any extra syrup is divine over vanilla bean ice cream!

Poached Pears

Adapted from The Sweet Life: Desserts from Chanterelle by Kate Zuckerman

Ingredients

• 6 ripe Bosc pears
• 2 bottles Moscato
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 1/2 inch wide strips of tangerine peel
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and cut into 1/8 inch coins

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan, add wine, tangerine peel, cardamom and sliced ginger. Heat over high until boiling.
2. Peel the pears, leaving stems intact if possible. Using a melon baller, remove the cores from the bottom of the pears.
3. Add pears to the poaching liquid and turn down heat. Simmer for 30-40 minutes until a sharp knife easily inserts into the center of the pear. Remove pears from liquid and set aside to cool.
4. Turn heat to high and boil uncovered for 45-60 minutes until syrup has reduced by half. Liquid will be the consistency of maple syrup. Transfer to a gravy boat.
5. Serve pears at room temperature, drizzled with piping hot syrup.