Apricot Poached Pears

• 1/2 cup apricot preserves
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon kirsch
• 4 Bosc pears
• 4 dried apricots

1. Put preserves in a 1-cup measure.
2. Cook, uncovered, at 100 percent power in a high-power oven for 1 minute.
3. Remove from oven.
4. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and the kirsch.
5. Pass mixture through a sieve into a shallow bowl.
6. Set aside.
7. Peel the pears and core them through the bottom.
8. As you work, rub the pears inside and out with the remaining lemon juice to prevent discoloration.
9. Roll each apricot lengthwise and put one in the cavity of each pear.
10. Coat the pears in the apricot mixture.
11. Arrange pears in a circle around the inside rim of a 2 1/4-quart souffle dish.
12. Cover tightly with microwave plastic wrap.
13. Cook 7 minutes.
14. Prick plastic to release steam.
15. Remove from oven and uncover.
16. Serve hot or cold.
17. Put each pear on a plate and spoon some of the remaining sauce over.

apricot preserves, lemon juice, pears, apricots

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/3842 (may not work)