Quintessentially English, Vanilla Poached Fruit is the perfect light dessert on a hot summer’s day. Make ahead and keep on standby. Serve as they are, with cream or splurge and use them to top chewy meringues.

A bowl of Poached Fruit including pear, peach and cherries

Although Vanilla Poached Fruit can be made throughout the entire year, my favourite time to make it is in the summer-time. More specifically: summertime when it’s cherry season.

A single cherry stood upright on a tabletop

In my opinion, it’s those fresh cherries that elevate this recipe from rather good to incredibly irresistible. Those dark, mysterious cherries gladly impart their sweet, blushing juices to the pan, adding a pinch of tartness to the syrup and a little blush. That flush of colour carries right on through to the pears, turning them a handsome shade of pale pink.

In truth, I’m in love with cherries and their deep, radiant blush.

Vanilla Poached Fruit is extremely easy to make and incredibly versatile. When served just as it is, the heady vanilla syrup and intense stone fruit flavours are pure heaven on a hot summers day.

Bowls of Poached Fruit in cooking syrup including pears, cherries and apricots

Serving suggestions

If you feel inclined to splurge, Vanilla Poached Fruit is also perfect when served:

with cream – be it single, double or, wait for it… clotted cream (sigh)
within an ice-cream sundae – I’m thinking layers of fruit, vanilla ice-cream, cream and chunks of vanilla sponge cake
with meringue – just imagine a gigantic Pavlova piled high with cream and these fruits then drizzled with that blushing vanilla syrup right before serving
sandwiched between layers of chocolate sponge cake. Lashings of whipped cream compulsory
crowning your weekend brunch of thick, fluffy American-style almond pancakes or neatly folded into English-style thin pancakes.

That should give you a few decadent ideas to ponder over. I think I’m leaning towards the giant Pavlova this weekend. How about you?

I said that this Vanilla Poached Fruit can be made at any time of the year. Pears can generally be relied upon for most of the year round but try replacing the apricots and peaches with the following combinations:

Autumn – grapes and pineapple
Winter – kiwi fruit and clementines
Spring – blood oranges and rhubarb

To add a splash of colour, drop in a few Maraschino cherries. You won’t get a blushing syrup, but those cheeky cherries add a welcome burst of colour.

But for now, back to summer, hot sunny days, simple no-bake desserts and ice-cold drinks.

More fruity recipes to try

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