When the time comes for thickening the pear sauce, I prefer arrowroot over cornstarch. Arrowroot comes from a tropical tuber whose root stalks are dried and ground into a fine starchy powder that's very easy to digest and lacks the chalky taste you sometimes get with cornstarch. The most potent ingredient in this dessert, and the one that gets it into my cookbook, is the ginger. Ginger, Zingiber officinale, is known throughout the world for its tonic and spiritually uplifting properties. Peel the pears, quarter them lengthwise, and core.
Slice pears thinly and place in a saucepan with the apple cider and gingerroot.
Add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until pears are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in almond extract. Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.