Tea-poached pears stuffed with cream cheese

This recipe works for 4 large, 6 medium, or 8 tiny pears
Stuffed poached pears
8 oz boiling water
4 spice tea bags (any mixture of orange spice black tea, apple-cinnamon herb tea, Good Earth, or chai)
2 T sugar
2 oz cream cheese

Combine the water, tea, and sugar and steep for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, peel the pears and carefully cut the cores out from the bottom with a thin-bladed knife.

Place the pears in a ceramic or glass casserole dish and pour the tea over them. Microwave for 5-8 minutes, depending on how ripe the pears are (the riper they are, the less cooking they require). They’re done when you can easily poke a fork into them.

Remove the pears to a plate to cool. When they are cool, carefully tuck a bit of cream cheese into each of the cavities and arrange them on a plate.

Pour the poaching liquid into a small saucepan and simmer on high until reduced to a thick syrup. Drizzle the syrup over the stuffed pears and serve.