Do you have some of those rock-hard pears on your hands? My problem with these under-ripe sweeties is that by the time they are ripe, I've completely forgotten about them and think of them as part of my kitchen decor. To ensure that we enjoy our pears before it's too late, we poach them in a delectable spice sauce. It goes famously with ice-cream and cookie crumbles on top.

Ingredients:
4 firm pears- pealed, gutted, and cut in half lengthwise
1 1/2cup water
1 cup sugar
1 tea cinnamon
1/2 tea allspice/apple pie/pumpkin pie spice (whichever)
1/4 tea ginger

Directions:
Lay sliced pears in the bottom of the slow cooker

Dump everything else on top and swish around a bit.

Slow cook for 3-4 hours on high, or until pears are soft but don't fall apart

Sometimes the juice stays a bit watery, so I occasionally mix 1/4c flour with 1/4c water and pour it in about an hour before the pears are done. It thickens the sauce into more of a syrup


Serve on top of some classic vanilla, or as is. I personally think this dish needs a bit of crunch so we like to top ours with crumbled cookies, wafers, graham crackers... whatever tickles your fancy.