Star anise poached pears

I had some pears lying around that needed to be used. I'm not a massive pear fan - long story that involves owning a VERY prolific pear tree and having to eat a huge quantity in a short amount of time, so let's just say I've had more than my fill! But I hate seeing food go to waste, so I dug around in my spice cupboard and found a combo that I thought would match the pear flavours nicely. They only take about 25 mins all up, and most of that is just simmering time, so they make a very quick (and pretty fancy) dessert.

Try this:

Makes 4 1/2 pears

2 beurre Bosc pears, peeled, halved and cored

1 tbsp caster sugar

1 tbsp brown sugar

4 star anise

1 cinnamon stick

4 cardamom pods

1/2 tsp black pepper corns

1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste

Prepare the pears (ha ha!!), then add them to a large pot in a single layer and cover them nearly completely with cold water, then heat slowly over a medium heat. While the water is heating add in all the spices and sugars, and mix gently. Once the water starts to boil, turn right down to a simmer and cook for approximately 20 minutes - the pears will be soft but still whole. Turn the heat off and set aside until cool enough to eat.

Serve with Greek yoghurt and a sprinkle of nice granola, or chopped nuts and seeds. They're also great served with thick creamy porridge on a cold morning.