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    Home • Recipes • Gluten Free Recipes

    Poached Pears with Vanilla and Coffee

    Published: Dec 30, 2011 · Modified: May 31, 2023 by Jill Colonna30 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    A welcome light dessert that's ideal after all the rich holiday menus: Poached Pears with Vanilla and Coffee.

    poached pears in coffee sauce bowl with macarons

    Light Pear Desserts

    When entertaining the French, it took me a few years to work out that menus need to be planned carefully.

    If I'm serving a large main course after an amuse-bouche (something small to tickle the tastebuds before the meal) then starter/hors-d'oeuvres - then an ambitious taste-of-France cheese board - it can be difficult keeping up when a heavy finale to the meal is served. I used to love doing that and soon learned quick enough.

    The French could have a crise cardiaque (heart attack) if they see a large British-style pudding arrive, piled high on their plate and since they're polite, they wade through it and suffer in silence. I'm now the same.

    Have you ever had that feeling of just being so stuffed that you're kicking-yourself-for-being-so-greedy uncomfortable?

    Vanilla Coffee Poached Pears

    French Chef Inspiration

    For light dessert inspiration, I pounced straight away on Anne-Sophie Pic's French cookbook, Recettes Pour Recevoir. The Michelin-starred chef has put together her cooking lessons for ideal recipes aimed at entertaining.

    What I loved about chef Pic's poached pears in blackcurrant and vanilla was that she uses a lot of poaching liquid, which makes it so much easier to make this recipe a success, as the pears should be poached completely in the liquid without any little bit sticking out.

    Moreover, it's a perfectly light and chic end to a meal. It can also be beautifully peared (sorry!) with macarons.

    half a poached pear sitting in a puddle of coffee sauce

    Developing the Poached Pear Recipe

    That would definitely keep my French friends happy. But I can't just copy a recipe from a cookbook. I had to make my own version that's easy to make at home with less of the steps (hey, I'm busy!).

    So, I inversed the flavours: her side-dish of a fondant au café and vanilla tuile was replaced by a tutti-frutti blackcurrant macaron (see p.83 of Mad About Macarons!) and the blackcurrant poaching sauce was replaced by a coffee sauce. My first try.

    The result was a dessert totally gluten-free (however, if you do love gluten like me, then make the tuiles from my 2nd book, Teatime in Paris!)

    Macarons are great for accompanying desserts, since they can be made a few days in advance (or even frozen and taken out the freezer 1 hour before serving at room temperature) so you can stay zen while preparing the rest of the meal.

    Serve with chocolate-coffee macarons (simply add 2 tbps of granulated coffee to the heating cream while making your classic chocolate ganache. Recipe on page 47 of Mad About Macarons!)

    Add Cardamom to Coffee - Great with Pears!

    This recipe can easily be adapted to suit different flavours. For example, with coffee, we love some spice.

    So add the bruised seeds from 4 cardamom pods to the coffee poaching liquid, remove, and serve with chocolate, cardamom & ginger macarons (see page 56 of Mad About Macarons!)

    poached coffee vanilla pears

    poached pears in coffee sauce bowl with macarons

    Poached Pears in Vanilla and Coffee

    Jill Colonna
    An easy yet elegant dessert that's light, healthy and gluten free.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 40 minutes mins
    Total Time 50 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine French
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 208 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 150 g (5oz/ ¾ cup) sugar
    • 1 litre/ 4¼ cups water
    • 1 vanilla pod/bean cut lengthways
    • 2 tbsps powdered coffee
    • 4 large firm pears Conference, Williams, Comice

    Instructions
     

    • Boil the sugar with the water, vanilla and coffee in a heavy based casserole dish or saucepan with a lid for about 10 minutes. Once boiling, turn down the heat.
    • Peel the pears and cut them in half horizontally. Place them completely in the syrup and poach them gently with lid on for 20 minutes.
    • Drain the pears using a slotted spoon, set aside and chill.
    • Boil up the coffee syrup for about 20 minutes until concentrated and thickened.
    • I usually place the leftover coffee syrup in a jam jar, sealed in the fridge. Over the next few days, just heat it gently and pour over ice cream.

    Notes

    Serve with almond tuile cookies. Alternatively with chocolate-coffee macarons (simply add 2 tbps of granulated coffee to the heating cream while making your classic chocolate ganache. Recipe on page 47 of Mad About Macarons!)
    Variation: infuse the bruised seeds from 4 cardamom pods to the coffee poaching liquid, remove, and serve with chocolate, cardamom & ginger macarons (see page 56 of Mad About Macarons!)
    Keyword poached pears, vanilla pears

    More Gluten Free Recipes

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      Oven-Roasted Asparagus (Asperges rôties)
    • cup of lemon ice cream with strawberries
      Creamy Lemon Ice Cream (Glace au citron)
    • gratin dish of sliced potato bake with autumn leaves
      Gratin Dauphinois (Creamy Potato Gratin)
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    Jill Colonna standing in a French patisserie lab holding a giant whisk over an oversized mixer bowl

    Meet Jill Colonna

    Jill is both Scottish and French and author of the book and blog, Mad About Macarons since 2010. Here she shares over 30 years of experience of living the healthy food life with her French family in Paris - via easy recipes and local food guides in France.

    More about Jill

    Reader Interactions

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    1. Sara Caine

      April 21, 2022 at 7:21 pm

      This looks a lovely recipe and I look forward to trying it - does it keep well if chilled overnight (i.e. can I prepare it a day in advance)?
      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Jill Colonna

        April 22, 2022 at 10:32 am

        Hi Sara,
        Yes, it will keep fine if chilled overnight. No problem. Let me know how you like the recipe. Bon week-end.

        Reply
    2. Christina | Christina's Cucina

      October 14, 2016 at 5:41 pm

      Coffee syrup and pears? What a wonderful combination of flavors! Yes, a light dessert that's not overly sweet and cloying is just perfect after a large meal. Yet another one of your delicious concoctions that I'll need to put on my ever-growing list of what to make! 🙂

      Reply
      • Jill Colonna

        October 15, 2016 at 12:56 pm

        Thanks Christina!

        Reply
    3. Jill Colonna

      October 01, 2016 at 5:42 pm

      Oh my! I didn't answer the comments here on this recipe post - instead I answered each person via their website!

      Reply
    4. Nami | Just One Cookbook

      January 06, 2012 at 6:16 am

      What a GORGEOUS dessert dish Jill! Looks like restaurant plate, seriously! I love this sophisticated dessert after a great meal. It will surely complete the meal without disappointment.

      Reply
    5. Emily @ Life on Food

      January 03, 2012 at 9:51 pm

      Happy Happy New Year! Your photos are beautiful. Poaching fruit is one things that scares me to death. I have yet to try it so it might just all be in my head. This is inspiring.

      Reply
    6. Christina @ Sweet Pea's Kicthen

      January 03, 2012 at 12:34 am

      I love poached pears and the mocha macarons sound like such a wonderful accompaniment. Yummy! 🙂

      Reply
    7. Roxana GreenGirl {A little bit of everything}

      January 02, 2012 at 6:26 pm

      i've always been a pear-lover and since I start baking I loved adding them to desserts. Even if it's not baked, poached pears do make me drool.
      Happy New Year Jill! Wish you all the best!

      Reply
    8. parisbreakfast

      January 02, 2012 at 1:52 pm

      OMG!
      simply gorgeous and I LOVE the angular sides of the pear!
      I much prefer fruity desserts after a heavy or any meal - the acid cleanses the palette don't you think?
      BRAVO Jill (again)

      Reply
    9. Hester @ Alchemy in the Kitchen

      January 02, 2012 at 10:02 am

      Jill, my screen disappeared mid comment so if I'm repeating myself, that's why. Happy New Year lovely lassie and what a way to kick it off with such a beautiful elegant dessert. They must be queuing round the block for invites to dinner at Chez Colonna. You've pre'pear'ed a stunner and I love how you 'pear'ed these unusual flavours.

      p.s. I laughed when I ready your magic porridge pot comment - that's exactly what I had in mind!

      Reply
    10. Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch

      January 02, 2012 at 3:40 am

      These looks so divine! I love poached pears and I will have to try making macaroons soon, it's on the to do list for 2012! Happy New Year!

      Reply
    11. All That I'm Eating

      January 01, 2012 at 6:46 pm

      This sounds so nice. How could anyone not eat all of it? I haven't yet poached my own pears, they always look so good when they're done and with coffee, what a nice change.

      Reply
    12. Sandra's Easy Cooking

      December 31, 2011 at 7:07 pm

      This look absolutely amazing..and I love pears!!!
      I wish you fantastic New Year, full of joy and happiness!!!!

      Reply
    13. Kim - Liv Life

      December 31, 2011 at 4:55 pm

      I'm with you on "pearing" done the calories!! It's been a season of eating with abandon, and my waistline is showing it. Pears have been one of my favorite fruits since I was little, but it's only been recently that I've started putting them into desserts. This one would be a treat!
      Happy New Year to you and your family Jill!!!

      Reply
    14. Tina@flourtrader

      December 31, 2011 at 2:03 pm

      This does look like an awesome dessert, the flavor combo just has me so wanting to taste this. I am so glad we became friends this year. After seeing all your posts, I can truly say that I can pick up anything at the grocery store and you would be able to create something spectacular with a perfectly flavored pairing of a macaron. I have learned much from you and I can't wait to see what you bring out in 2012!

      Reply
    15. Sissi

      December 31, 2011 at 1:10 pm

      I could certainly do with such a light and attractive dessert tonight! I wish I had pears or at least the courage to go out and buy them 😉 Of course I don't even mention macarons. They are perfect with everything.
      I am in awe of Anne-Sophie Pic, especially given her professional career before she took on her father's restaurant. I have almost bought the book you mention and then finally I had the one with her restaurant's recipes (of course I haven't made a single one, but I had expected so: it was a book to admire and read, not necessarily to cook from!). I hope I will go to taste her delights one day...
      Happy New Year, Jill! (I love the Scottish saying! I imagine how beautiful it would sound with the lovely rolled "r" )

      Reply
    16. Lora

      December 31, 2011 at 10:08 am

      Absolutely gorgeous dessert! what a lovely flavor combination. Happy New Year Jill! P.S. I LOVE your book.

      Reply
    17. Amalia

      December 31, 2011 at 8:26 am

      A light dessert is definitely what I need! This looks so beautiful and sophisticated, not to mention delicious! That pear look so good, especially with that chocolate ganache and mocha macarons. I mean it doesn't get any better than that, seriously! Thank you for the gorgeous dessert, I hope you have a wonderful New Year 🙂

      Reply
    18. Amy

      December 31, 2011 at 2:40 am

      Hi Jill! This whole dish sounds amazing! The poached pears alone would be wonderful, but add in the macaroons and I am in heaven! Love the combination of flavors you have here. Best wishes to you in the New Year!

      Reply
    19. Liz

      December 30, 2011 at 11:15 pm

      Oh, yeah, I am so ready for some lighter desserts! Your poached pears are stunning...and perfectly paired (lol or peared) with another delicious macaron! Happy New Year to one of my favorite foodies!

      Reply
    20. Tiffany

      December 30, 2011 at 11:12 pm

      You poached the pears in coffee! How cool! I've poached pears in pureed strawberries mixed with wine, but never coffee. SUCH a great idea!

      Reply
    21. Parsley Sage

      December 30, 2011 at 10:48 pm

      Oh yes. I'm usually unbuttoning my pants on the ride home to keep from making CK pull over for my greedy-inner-pig. But...it always just.so.good!

      Lovely poached pears, darling! My mind is a little blown with the coffee-pear coupling. Intriguing!

      Buzzed

      Reply
    22. Magic of Spice

      December 30, 2011 at 8:28 pm

      Poached pears and coffee?! How delightful and how gorgeous! I always favor a light dessert and these are perfect, as well as are your macarons 🙂
      I hope you had a lovely holiday and wishing you a fantastic 2012!

      Reply
    23. Terris@ Free Eats

      December 30, 2011 at 7:01 pm

      This dessert is gluten-free heaven Jill! Absolutely elegant and sophisticated while still being approachable. Always love what you are doing here! Happy New Year and thanks for sharing another lovely series of photos and a great recipe. 🙂

      Reply
    24. Grubarazzi (@Grubarazzi)

      December 30, 2011 at 5:33 pm

      I love, love, love this recipe. You are so right... I can barely look at heavy sweets right now. I would be overjoyed if this came to the table after a long meal.

      Reply
    25. The Mom Chef ~ Taking on Magazines One Recipe at a Time

      December 30, 2011 at 3:31 pm

      I'm ready for a salad or two and lots of fruit, yes. This is definitely a good way to start! I love the idea of poaching pears with coffee, especially since I adore coffee (raising my mug to you). Happy New Year, Jill!

      Reply
    26. Kiri W.

      December 30, 2011 at 2:58 pm

      I *love* vanilla poached pears, but with coffee? Man, I'd die for this! Looks fantastic and subtle and all kinds of wonderful!

      Reply
    27. Claudia

      December 30, 2011 at 2:15 pm

      You are so right - I am sated. It was with great happiness that I washed the now-empty cookie tins and put all away for a year. Enough! But I am still searching for a sweet occasionally - but don't want the thuds! This is a beauty - love working with pears and have these tiny, flavorful pears that would also pair well...(tee hee). Thanks for the shout-out, Jill and wishing you the happiest New Year!

      Reply

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