Poached Pomegranate Pears with Cashew Cream

A delicious sweet and tart dessert that is very healthy. The pomegranate juice makes the pears a beautiful colour and lends a great flavour while the cashew cream is a fantastic smooth and sweet contrast to the tart pears.

Ingredients

2 pears (peeled and core removed)
500 ml pomegranate juice
2 cinnamon sticks
1 cup raw cashews (soaked overnight in water)
2 tablespoons honey

Directions

Once you have your pears peeled, cut them in half and remove the core. Place them in a small or medium pot so that they are in a single layer.
Pour in the juice so that the pears are submerged.
Add in the cinnamon sticks and then gently simmer until the pears are just soft.
Remove from the heat and let the pears cool in the liquid a little and then remove and set aside.
Take the cinnamon stick out of the juice and place the pot back on the burner. Heat on medium-high and boil until the liquid is reduced by at least half. You will notice that it will become thicker and more concentrated. Remove from the heat and let cool a little.
Now to make the cashew cream, drain the soaking water and add the cashews to a food processor. Turn on the processor and slowly add fresh water until you get a nice creamy texture. Stop and wipe the sides of the processor as needed and keep running until the cream is very smooth.
Add the honey and process until incorporated.
You are now ready to plate up. I like to place a spoonful of cashew cream in the middle of a plate and then place the pear on top. Next comes a drizzle of the warm juice reduction over top of the pear. Enjoy!

PREP 15 mins
COOK 20 mins