Red Wine Poached Pears with Chocolate Filling

Ingredients

• 4 pears, peeled, or more to taste
• 1 1/2 cups red wine
• 1 cup water
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 star anise pod (optional)
• 1 (11 ounce) jar chocolate sauce (such as Fran’s)

Directions

Cut bottom off each pear and core from the bottom to give each pear a flat bottom to stand upright.

Combine wine, water, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and star anise in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and arrange pears on their sides in the saucepan. Simmer pears for 10 to 12 minutes. Turn pears and continue simmering until tender and easily poked with a fork, 8 to 10 minutes. Work in batches if needed.

Remove pears from wine mixture and place in a serving dish, standing upright. Continue boiling wine sauce until reduced to about 3/4 cup, 5 to 10 more minutes.

Fill each pear's core cavity with chocolate sauce. Pour wine sauce over each pear.