lumicero/recipes-ing2inst huggingface dataset:
Title: Frosting in the Pie
Ingredients:
- 9 graham cracker crust
- 8 cream cheese
- 1 Cool Whip
- 8
Instructions:
1. Beat cream cheese until smooth.
2. Add frosting and beat well.
3. Fold in Cool Whip.
4. Pour into pie shell and refrigerate.
Title: No-Bake Alaska
Ingredients:
- 1 chocolate ice cream
- 2 flaked coconut
- 1
- 1/4
Instructions:
1. Cut cake horizontally into 3 even layers.
2. Place bottom cake layer on a pretty serving plate and spread with 1 cup of the ice cream.
3. Repeat layers of cake and ice cream and cover with top cake layer.
4. Frost sides and top of cake with whipped topping.
5. Sprinkle with coconut.
6. Serve immediately or store in the freezer until ready to serve.
Title: Blueberry-Peach Pound Cake
Ingredients:
- 1/2 butter
- 1 1/4 sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 milk
- 2 1/2 cake flour
- 2 baking powder
- 1/4 salt
- 2 1/4 fresh blueberries
- 2 confectioners' sugar
Instructions:
1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
2. Beat in milk.
3. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture.
4. Stir in blueberries and peaches.
5. Pour into a greased and floured 10" fluted tube pan.
6. Bake at 350 60-70 minutes or until tests done.
7. Cool in pan for 15 minutes; remove to a wire rack to cool.
8. Dust with confectioners sugar.
Title: Anzac Cookies
Ingredients:
- 2 flour
- 2 sugar
- 2 old fashioned oats
- 2 flaked coconut
- 2 walnuts
- 1/2 salt
- 1 butter
- 1/3 golden syrup
- 1/4 hot water
- 2 baking soda
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil; set aside.
3. In a very large bowl, combine flour, sugar, oats, coconut, walnuts and salt; set aside.
4. In a large saucepan, combine butter and golden syrup; bring to boiling.
5. In a small bowl, stir together the hot water and baking soda; immediately add to the boiling butter mixture (the addition of soda mixture causes the mixture to rise in the pan).
6. Pour the hot mixture into the flour mixture; stir with a wooden spoon until well mixed.
7. Shape dough into 1-1/2" balls.
8. Place balls 2" apart on prepared cookie sheets.
9. Using palm of your hand, flatten balls slightly.
10. Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown.
11. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheets.
12. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
13. To store, layer cookies between pieces of waxed paper in an airtight container; cover.
14. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Title: Coeur a La Creme for Diabetics
Ingredients:
- 2 plain nonfat yogurt
- 2 fat-free ricotta cheese
- 1/2 lemon zest
- 1/4 pure vanilla extract
- 3 strawberries
Instructions:
1. Using a food processor or electric mixer, combine the yogurt and ricotta cheese; process until smooth.
2. Line a colander or basket with a double layer of cheese cloth, letting cloth hang over the edges.
3. Spoon the cheese mixture into the colander. Fold cheese cloth over top and place colander over a bowl or baking dish to catch the whey.
4. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
5. Scrape the cheese from the cheesecloth and add the lemon zest and vanilla.
6. Mix well.
7. Line a 3 cup heart-shaped mold (or the draining basket) with cheese cloth, again allowing cloth to hang over the edges.
8. Spoon the cheese mixture into the mold, smoothing the top with the back of a spoon. Fold cheesecloth over cheese; chill for 3 hours.
9. To serve, unfold cheesecloth and invert mold onto a serving platter.
10. Remove cheesecloth.
11. Surround with the berries.
Title: Coconut Lime Layer Cake
Ingredients:
- 3 all-purpose flour
- 1 baking powder
- 1/2 baking soda
- 1 sugar
- 1 butter
- 1 cream of coconut
- 2 lime zest
- 4 eggs
- 1 buttermilk
- 1/2 butter
- 1/4 cream of coconut
- 1 cream cheese
- 2 lime zest
- 5 powdered sugar
- 4 -5 half-and-half cream
- 1 sweetened flaked coconut
Instructions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F Grease and flour 2 (9-inch) round (2-inch deep) cake pans; set aside.
2. Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda in medium bowl; set aside.
3. Combine sugar and 1 cup butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until well mixed. Add 1 cup cream of coconut and 2 teaspoons lime zest; continue beating, scraping bowl often, until smooth. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk. Beat until well mixed.
4. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and cake is deep golden brown. (If browning too quickly; cover with aluminum foil.) Cool 10 minutes. Invert onto cooling racks; cool completely.
5. Combine 1/2 cup butter, 1/4 cup cream of coconut, cream cheese and lime zest in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add powdered sugar and enough half & half for desired spreading consistency.
6. Place 1 cake layer onto cake plate, bottom-side up. (If necessary, trim top of cake layer if too rounded to make flat surface before placing onto plate.) Frost top of cake with about 1 cup frosting. Top with second cake layer, bottom-side down. Frost entire cake and sides. Sprinkle top of cake with coconut.
Title: Pumpkin Pie Eclairs
Ingredients:
- 1/2 milk
- 1/2 water
- 1/2 butter
- 1 sugar
- 1/2 salt
- 1 flour
- 3 eggs
- 1 milk
- 1/4 sugar
- 2 cornstarch
- 2 butter
- 1/2 vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 1 pumpkin pie
- 1 egg
- 2 milk
- 4 chocolate
- 2 heavy cream
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Pate a choux dough: Add milk, water, butter, sugar and salt into a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir the mixture continuously to keep it from burning. Once it boils, quickly remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the flour and stir until a dough forms. Return the pan to medium heat 3 minutes while stirring constantly. Make sure the mixture doesn't burn. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture into a mixing bowl. Be careful since the mixture is still hot. Beat for 30 seconds on medium speed. Then add in 1 egg at a time. Beat until smooth after each egg.
3. Piping the eclairs: Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Use a decorating bag or plastic bag to pipe the eclairs. Make sure the tip is big enough to make about a 1/2:-inch wide eclair. Fill the bag with the eclair dough and pipe onto the baking sheet. Making the eclairs about 1/2"-inch wide and 3-4"inches long. The eclairs should have enough room to expand if you place them about 2"-inches apart.
4. Egg Wash: In a separate bowl, combine egg and milk. Beat with a fork until smooth. Using the pastry brush or spoon, brush the egg wash over the eclairs.
5. Place the eclairs in the oven and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Do not open your oven while baking. The eclairs are when they appear golden brown and dry. Allow to cool after baking. Once baked and cooled poke a hole in the ends of each eclair.
6. Mix the pastry cream ingredients together. Note: This was a Kindle book and no futher instructions were given. I do believe you must cook the pastry cream and then add the pumpkin filling.
7. Fill a bag with pastry cream and pipe into the hollow center.
8. Chocolate ganache: Combine the chocolate and heavy cream and heat either on the stove or microwave 30 seconds. Dip each eclair in the chocolate.
Title: Tender Chocolate Shortbread
Ingredients:
- 2 all-purpose flour
- 1/2 confectioners' sugar
- 1 salt
- 1/4 unsalted butter
- 1/2 vanilla extract
- 1
Instructions:
1. Adjust two racks to divide oven into thirds, preheat to 300 degrees.
2. You can prepare this dough in a mixer or food processor (or by hand).
3. Food Processor Method, using steel blade:.
4. Place dry ingredients in processor bowl.
5. Cut cold butter into 1/2 slices and drop into bowl.
6. Add the vanilla.
7. Cover and pulse just until all ingredients hold together.
8. Electric Mixer Method (take butter out of fridge 20-30 minutes before mixing):.
9. Cream butter in large mixer bowl.
10. Add salt, sugar and vanilla and mix.
11. Using low speed, add cocoa and flour.
12. Make sure to scrape down the sides and beat only until the dough holds together.
13. Turn out dough onto floured surface. Knead it briefly, if necessary, until it's very smooth. Roll it into a ball and flatten it a bit.
14. Roll to an even 1/2" thickness. Use a 1 1/2" round or square floured cookie cutter for a yield of 35-40 cookies. Reroll scraps of dough, if any, and cut more cookies.
15. Place cut cookes 1" apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Prick each cookie in three rows (I line the rows up evenly)with a dinner fork. Fork should go all the way through to the cookie sheet for each row. Pop the sheet in the fridge for a few minutes if your fork sticks too much or if the cookies are losing shape when you prick them.
16. Bake 25-30 minutes or until firm to touch, rotating baking sheets top to bottom and front to back once. Be careful - since they're so dark in color it is easy for them to burn without much notice.
17. If you use only one sheet, place on higher rack and reduce baking time.
18. Place on rack to cool.
Title: Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies
Ingredients:
- 1 eggs
- 1/3 milk
- 2
- 1 1/4
- 1 1/2
- 1/4
Instructions:
1. HEAT oven to 350°F Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. COMBINE brownie mix, oil and eggs in medium bowl. Beat 30 to 40 strokes. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
3. BAKE 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are set. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.
4. BEAT frosting and peanut butter in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add milk, beating until smooth. Place half of pies flat side up. Spoon 2 tablespoons filling in center of each pie. Top with remaining pies, rounded side up. Press gently to spread filling.
5. Whoopie pies may be wrapped individually in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for several days.
Title: Snappy Turtle Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1/2 brown sugar
- 1/2 butter
- 1/4 vanilla
- 1/8 egg
- 1 egg
- 1 flour
- 1 1/2 baking soda
- 1/4 salt
- 1/4 pecan halves
- 1 1/2 milk
- 1/3 butter
- 3 powdered sugar
- 1
Instructions:
1. In large bowl, combine brown sugar and 1/2 cup butter; beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, maple flavor, 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk; beat well. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt; mix well.
2. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate about 1 hour for easier handling.
3. Heat oven to 350. Grease cookie sheets. Arrange pecan pieces in groups of 5 on greased cookie sheets to resemble head and legs of turtle. In small bowl, beat egg white. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Dip bottoms in beatn egg white; press lightly onto pecans.
4. Bake at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are lightly golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheets. Cool completely.
5. In small saucepan, combine chocolate chips, milk and 1 T. butter; cook over low heat, stirring constantly until melted and smooth. Remove from heat; stir in powdered sugar. Add more powdered sugar if necessary for desired spreading consistency. Frost cooled cookies. Allow frosting to set before storing. Store in airtight container.
Title: Layer Cake
Ingredients:
- 2 flour
- 1 1/3 sugar
- 2 1/2 baking powder
- 1 table salt
- 1/2 shortening
- 7 milk
- 1 1/2 vanilla
- 2 eggs
Instructions:
1. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, combine milk and vanilla.
2. In bowl of stand mixer, or using a hand mixer, cut in shortening. Add 2/3 of milk mixture, then eggs, then the rest of the milk. Beat 2 minutes.
3. Butter and flour two 8" cake pans. Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake in preheated 375°F oven until a toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean, 20-30 minutes. Spin pans 180° and swap upper for lower rack after 15 minute.
4. Cool 10 minutes in pans, then turn out and cool completely on cooling racks. Fill and frost with your favorite frosting.
Title: Coconut-Condensed Milk Cake
Ingredients:
- 1 eggs
- 3 water
- 1 1/4 cream of coconut
- 1/3 Cool Whip
- 1 flaked coconut
- 1 pecans
- 1
- 1/2 - 3/4
Instructions:
1. Mix white cake and bake in 9" x 13" pan according to directions.
2. When done, punch holes all over cake with wooden dowel.
3. Pour condensed milk and coconut cream over cake while still warm.
4. Allow to cool a little and spread with Cool Whip topping.
5. Sprinkle with coconut and pecans.
6. Ready to serve.
7. Refrigerate uneaten portion.
Title: Kathy's Shortbread
Ingredients:
- 4 flour
- 1 sugar
- 1 butter
Instructions:
1. Blend flour and sugar together completely. Cut in softened butter until mixture resembles small peas. Knead until smooth. Pat mixture into an ungreased glass pan. Cut into small serving pieces and prick with fork.
2. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
3. Immediately upon removing from oven, cut through the original lines for serving pieces. Cool on wire rack before removing fmor pan.
Title: Australian Lamington
Ingredients:
- 1/2 butter
- 3/4 white sugar
- 1 vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 2 all-purpose flour
- 4 baking powder
- 1/8 salt
- 1/2 milk
- 4 icing sugar
- 1/3 butter
- 2 milk
- 1/2 flaked coconut
- 2
Instructions:
1. Cake:
2. Preheat oven to 375°F.
3. Grease and flour an 8x12 inch rectangular pan.
4. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
5. In a large bowl cream together the 1/2 cup butter, 3/4 cup sugar and the vanilla until light and fluffy.
6. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg.
7. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk; beat well.
8. Pour the batter into the pan.
9. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
10. Let stand 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Store overnight to give the cake a chance to firm up before Icing.
11. Icing:
12. In a large bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and cocoa.
13. In a saucepan, heat milk and 2 teaspoons butter until the butter is melted.
14. Add the milk to the sugar mixture and mix well to create a fluid, but not too runny, Icing.
15. Puting It All Together:
16. Cut the cake into 24 squares.
17. Place coconut in a shallow container.
18. Using a fork, dip each square into the icing, then roll it in the coconut.
19. Place onto a rack to dry. The icing will drip, so place something underneath to catch it.
20. Continue for each piece.
Title: Summer Squash Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
- 4 butter
- 1/2 sugar
- 1/2 eggs
- 2 vanilla extract
- 3 all-purpose flour
- 1 cocoa powder
- 2 baking soda
- 1/3 baking powder
- 2 kosher salt
- 2 buttermilk
- 1 sour cream
- 1/3 zucchini
- 3 pecans
- 1/2
Instructions:
1. Preheat over to 375 degrees F. Grease and flour a 13 x 9 pan, or if you want a layer cake, prepare two 9-inch round pans.
2. Melt the chocolate and oil in a small saucepan over very low heat. Cream butter until light; add the sugar, eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Add the melted and cooled chcolate mixture and mix well. Sift or stir together the dry ingredients and stir them into the batter with the buttermilk. Mix the squash and nuts into the batter.
3. Bake 13 x 9 cake for 40-45 minute and 9-inch pans for 35-40 min., or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
4. Cool the cake completely before frosting with whipped cream or your favorite frosting. Try this frosting:.
5. 3/4 cup butter at room temp., 8 oz. cream cheese at room temp., 4 plus cups confectioner's sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cream butter and cheese together until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Slowly add the confectioner's sugar until well blended, using more sugar if necessary to get a spreading consistency. Best stored in fridge.
Title: Prince of Wales Cake
Ingredients:
- 1 sugar
- 1/2 shortening
- 1 egg
- 1/2 maple syrup
- 2 flour
- 1 baking soda
- 1 vanilla
- 1/2 cinnamon
- 1/2 clove
- 1/2 nutmeg
- 1 raisins
Instructions:
1. Cream sugar, shortening, and egg.
2. Add maple syrup.
3. Sift dry ingredients and add alternately with sour milk and vanilla.
4. Raisins and nuts are add last.
5. Pour into a 13x9-inch pan and bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until done.
Title: Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients:
- 8 dark chocolate
- 4 eggs
- 1 sugar
- 5
Instructions:
1. Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl over simmering water, stirring till completely smooth.
2. Remove bowl from pan.
3. In another bowl, beat the egg yolks then whisk them into the chocolate.
4. This will cook, but not scramble, them.
5. Allow to cool to room temperature.
6. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites and sugar together to soft peaks.
7. Whisk a third of them into the chocolate mixture, then gently fold in the remainder.
8. Whip the cream to a soft peak, and fold into the chocolate mixture.
9. Spoon into dessert or wine glasses.
10. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set.
11. If made well in advance, remove from the refrigerator up to one hour before serving.
Title: Cupcakes
Ingredients:
- 3/4 butter
- 2 sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 1/2 flour
- 2 1/2 baking powder
- 1/8 salt
- 1 vanilla extract
- 1
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until very smooth. Add eggs and beat well. Sift flour, baking powder. Add half of the flour mixture to the sugar mixture, along with half of the milk. Beat well, then add the rest of the flour mixture and milk. Add the vanilla and beat again.
2. Put 24 liners into the cupcake pans. Pour the batter into the liners, filling a little more than half full. Bake the cupcakes for 18 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let them cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes before you ice them.
3. Spread icing completely over the top of all cupcakes. Align 20 cupcakes into rows of 5x4. Sprinkle the four cupcakes in the top left corner with blueberries so that some white shows through to look like stars. Decorate the second to last row and remaining three cupcakes in the top row with raspberries. Use red and blue M&M’s to do stars and stripes for individual American flag on remaining cupcakes.
Title: Mocha Nut Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1/2 shortening
- 1 sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 walnuts
- 1/2 pecans
- 1 flour
- 1/4 salt
- 1 baking powder
- 2 instant coffee powder
Instructions:
1. Cream together shortening and sugar.
2. Add egg and beat until light and fluffy.
3. Stir in chocolate and nuts.
4. Sift together dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture,blend well.
5. Divind dough in half and shape into rolls.
6. Wrap tightly in wax paper,chill in refrigerate at least 2 hours.
7. Cut dough into 1/8 inch slices,place 1 1/2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet.
8. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes.
9. Remove and cool on wire rack.
Title: Pastry With No Trans Fat
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 all-purpose flour
- 1/4 salt
- 1 butter
- 1/3
Instructions:
1. Whisk flour with salt in a large bowl.
2. Using pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter until in coarse crumbs with a few larger pieces.
3. Stirring briskly with a fork, drizzle ice waterover flour mixture until pastry holds together, sprinkling dry spots with more water, if necessary, 1 tbsp at a time.
4. Divide pastry in half, pressing into discs.
5. On generously floured surface, roll 1 disc out to a scant 1/4 inch thickness.
6. Roll around rolling pin; unroll over 9 inch pie plate, gently pressing dough to fit.
7. Trim, leaving 3/4 inch overhang.
8. Roll out remaining pastry for top to a scant 1/4 inch thickness& transfer to a rimless baking sheet.
9. Refrigerate pie shell& pastry top until firm, about an hour.
10. Use for your favourite summer fruit pie.
Title: Low fat noodle Kugel
Ingredients:
- 1 reduced fat margarine
- 1 fat free sour cream
- 1/2 egg substitute
- 1 1/2 white sugar
- 2 lemon juice
- 1 vanilla extract
- 1 applesauce
- 8 raisins
- 1/4 graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 ground cinnamon
- 1
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
3. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
4. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
5. Mix together margarine, sour cream, egg substitute, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and applesauce.
6. Stir in noodles and raisins.
7. Spread graham cracker crumbs on bottom of prepared pan.
8. Pour noodle mixture over crumbs.
9. Sprinkle top with cinnamon.
10. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 to 60 minutes, or until set.
11. Cover with foil if it browns too quickly.
Title: Fresh Whipped Cream Topping
Ingredients:
- 3/4 powdered sugar
- 2 vanilla
- 1
Instructions:
1. Pour cream in to a chilled glass or metal mixing bowl and beat until soft peaks form gradually add powder sugar until all has been blended and then add vanilla slowly until it has also been blended.
2. Mixture should have stiff peaks.
3. The whipped cream may be put into a pastry bag and used for that added effect.
Title: Hawaiian Baked Bananas
Ingredients:
- 4 bananas
- 1/2 brown sugar
- 1/4 sherry wine
- 3 butter
- 1/2 nutmeg
- 2
- 1
Instructions:
1. Peel bananas and place in a small baking dish.
2. Mix together brown sugar, orange or pineapple juice and sherry. Pour over bananas.
3. Saute the chopped nuts in butter until toasty and sprinkle over bananas.
4. Add dash of nutmeg to taste.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or bananas are lightly glazed.
6. Serve bananas with a spoonful of sauce over each.
Title: Double Chocolate Almond Biscotti
Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 flour
- 1/3 cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 baking powder
- 1/2 salt
- 1/4 butter
- 1 sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 vanilla extract
- 1/2 Amaretto
- 1
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.
3. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, vanilla and almond extracts.
4. Mix in the flour mixture in stages. Stir in almonds and chocolate chips.
5. Shape dough into 2 logs 3 inches wide and about 12-14 inches long.
6. Place on ungreased baking sheet 3 inches apart.
7. Bake for 20-30 minutes.
8. Cool slightly and cut into 3/4-inch diagonal slices.
9. Bake again for 10 minutes each side.
10. Cool on a wire racks.
Title: Springerle Cookies
Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- 1 sugar
- 1 baking powder
- 2 all-purpose flour
- 1/4 salt
- 1 anise seed
Instructions:
1. Beat eggs until very fluffy.
2. Add sugar and beat well again.
3. Add hartshorn and stir until dissolved.
4. Fold in flour, salt and flavoring.
5. If dough is very sticky, add about 1/4 cup more flour.
6. Roll out 1/8" thick.
7. Press with floured springerle board or rolling pin to print design.
8. Cut in squares and place on greased cookie sheets.
9. Cover with a towel and let stand to dry for 10 hours.
10. Bake for 10-20 minutes at 325 degrees F, but do not let the cookies get brown.
11. Optional: To decorate the cookies quickly, brush with light corn syrup and sprinkle with colored sugar.
Title: Poached Pears
Ingredients:
- 1 red wine
- 1 lemon
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 1/2 sugar
- 8 bosc pears
Instructions:
1. In a saucepan, combine the wine, lemon juice, the vanilla bean, sugar and about 2 cups of water. Cover and cook until the sugar has dissolved.
2. In another pan, blanch the pears for a couple of minutes, and then drop into cold water. Peel the skins gently with a small paring knife, leaving the stems. Set the pears upright in wine syrup and simmer until they are just tender. Remove them from the pot carefully so they don't bruise. Place them in a pyrex dish and refrigerate.
3. Then turn the heat up and boil the syrup until it is reduced by half. Let it cool to room temperature and spoon it over the pears, basting often. The syrup will deepen the color of the pears. In spring, you may want them to remain a lighter red. At Christmas, I leave the pears in the syrup for a longer period of time, until they become almost burgundy in color.
4. Remove the pears from the refrigerator about 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with Somebody's Mother's White Chocolate Whipped Cream (see Somebody's Mother's Chocolate and Raspberry Trifle for recipe).