Wine Braised Pear Chantilly

• 4 pears, ripened (Anjoy, Bartlett or Bosc)
• 3 cups dry red wine (Cabernet, Merlot or Zinfandel)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 4 cloves, whole
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly ground
• 4 slices butter poundcake
• 1 cup whipping cream, heavy
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup almonds, sliced and butter-toasted

1. Peel and core pears, leaving stems intact. (Note: I used a small melon-baller tool to carefully scoop the core out of each pear). Place pears in a non-reactive dutch oven with wine, sugar, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Simmer for 20 minutes, gently turning pears occasionally for even absorption/coloring. Remove pears and cool in refrigerator.
2. Simmer wine mixture until reduced to 2 cups syrup. Place cake slices in 4 dessert bowls.
3. In a medium bowl, beat whipping cream at medium speed until soft peeks form. Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla.
4. Place pears upright on cake slices; trim bottoms to stand if necessary. Remove cinnamon sticks and cloves from syrup and pour syrup over pears. Garnish with whipped cream and almond slices.

bartlett, red wine, sugar, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, butter, whipping cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, almonds

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/wine-braised-pear-chantilly-290363 (may not work)