Poached Pear Crostini

• Poached Pears
• 1 gal. dry red wine
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 32 strips lemon zest Safeway 4 ct For $5.00 thru 02/09
• 16 sprigs fresh thyme
• 16 each fresh Bosc pears, peeled, cut lengthwise in half and cored
• Spiced Walnuts
• 2 each egg whites
• 1-1/2 cups walnut pieces
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1-1/3 Tbsp. ground red pepper (cayenne)
• Cream Cheese Spread
• PHILADELPHIA Original Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 cup chocolate sauce
• 2-2/3 Tbsp. gingerroot, grated
• Crostini Assembly
• 48 slices prepared pound cake, cut into 2-oz. oval-shaped slices
• 1/3 cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped
• 2 cups chocolate sauce

1. Poached Pears: Cook first 4 ingredients in pan large enough to completely cover the pears with liquid.
2. Add pear halves; simmer on medium-low heat 20 min.
3. or just until tender, stirring occasionally.
4. Drain pears.
5. Spiced Walnuts: Hand beat egg whites until frothy.
6. Add remaining ingredients; stir until nuts are evenly coated.
7. Spread onto bottom of parchment-lined half-sheet pan.
8. Bake in 350 degrees F convection oven 5 to 7 min.
9. or until nuts are dry.
10. Cool.
11. Cream Cheese Spread: Mix ingredients until blended.
12. For each plating (3 servings): Arrange 3 cake slices on plate; spread each with about 1-1/2 Tbsp.
13. Cream Cheese Spread.
14. Cut each of 2 pear halves into 8 lengthwise slices; fan about 5 pieces on each cake slice.
15. Sprinkle evenly with 1-1/2 Tbsp.
16. Spiced Walnuts and 1 tsp.
17. ginger.
18. Serve with 2 Tbsp.
19. chocolate sauce.

red wine, sugar, lemon zest, thyme, walnuts, egg whites, walnut pieces, sugar, ground red pepper, cream cheese, philadelphia original cream cheese, chocolate sauce, gingerroot, crostini, cake, ginger, chocolate sauce

Taken from www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/poached-pear-crostini-139315.aspx (may not work)