Gracious Hospitality

Poached Pears with Vanilla Sauce & Lavender

2 large pears
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup lavender sugar*
juice of one lemon

Peel and halve the pears, remove the core. In a small pot, bring the water, lemon juice, and sugar to a boil. Lower the heat to the lowest setting. Add pears belly-side up. Simmer covered until soft, about 15 minutes. Uncover and reduce the syrup to about 1/4" in the bottom of the pan.

Vanilla Sauce

1 cup milk**
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 egg yolk***
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla
chocolate for grating

Keep the chocolate in the freezer until ready to grate. In a small bowl, whip the yolk with sugar until pale and fluffy. Add cornstarch and vanilla. Mix well. Slowly add the milk while mixing. Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until bubbly. Pour the sauce into 4 serving dishes. Place pears in center. Sprinkle with grated chocolate.

*To make lavender sugar, add lavender bud to small container of sugar. Cover and allow to sit for several days so flavor infuses into sugar. Then strain out lavender bud.

**Use non-dairy milk alternative of your choice.

***Instead of egg yolk, may use a slurry of blended silken tofu. Use amount equal to one egg yolk.