Green tea, delicately flavored with ginger and almond, makes a delightful poaching medium for pears.

Makes 4 servings

ACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 2 hours 40 minutes (including making Matcha Cream)

EASE OF PREPARATION: Moderate

1/4 cup Matcha Cream (recipe follows)
4 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons green tea leaves, preferably sencha
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon chopped crystallized ginger
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
4 firm, ripe Anjou or Bosc pears, peeled, halved and cored
1 tablespoon sliced almonds, toasted

1. Prepare Matcha Cream.
2. Meanwhile, bring water to a boil in a shallow pan or deep skillet. Stir in tea, turn off heat and let steep, covered, for 5 minutes. Pour through a cheesecloth-lined sieve to remove leaves; return tea to the pan.
3. Add sugar, ginger and almond extract and bring just to a boil. Add pears, cut-side up, and poach over low heat until quite tender when pierced with a wooden skewer. Transfer to a bowl and let the pears cool in the poaching liquid.
4. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Use a slotted spoon to place two pear halves in each dessert dish. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the poaching liquid over the pears. Serve with a generous dollop of Matcha Cream and garnish with almonds.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 369 calories; 4 g total fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 86 g carbohydrate; 2 g protein; 5 g fiber; 23 mg sodium; 408 mg potassium.

4 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings

TIP: To toast almonds:
Heat a small dry skillet over medium-low heat. Add nuts and cook, stirring constantly, until the nuts are lightly browned and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl to cool.

RELATED RECIPES: Matcha Cream

I used Comic Pears which are very sweet when ripe. Less sugar in the syrup is needed. The cream topping seemed over the top. Pears and nuts are fine with me. I would like to be reminded in the instructions if poaching is covered or simmered in an open pan.

Linda, Santa Rosa, CA