Ingredients

• 2 large yellow Chinese round shaped or teardrop shaped pears
• 25 g dried white fungus
• 3 tbsp dried osmanthus flowers
• 10 g dried red dates
• 20 g sweet almonds/ sweet apricot kernels or seeds
• 10 g bitter almonds/ bitter apricot kernels or seeds
• 75 g rock sugar/ cane sugar
• 2 candied dates (optional)
• 1.5 litres water

Preparation

Rinse the white fungus under running water, followed by soaking in a bowl of water for an hour. Using a pair of kitchen scissors, trim out the hard yellow orange parts at the bottom and separate the frilly head of fungus into bite-sized pieces. Rinse, drain and set aside.

Skin the pears, core them and cut each one into 8 wedges, set aside.

Put dried osmanthus flowers into a sieve. Rinse them through running water and drain. Spoon it into a disposable tea or spice bag. Seal the bag and set aside.

Wash and remove seeds for red dates.

Rinse candied dates and both types of the almonds.

Poaching Using Normal Pot

Bring the water to boil in a medium-sized pot. Add tea bag (step 3 above) and rock sugar to the pot, and turn heat down to medium. When the rock sugar has dissolved, have a taste and add more sugar if desired.

Add the white fungus, candied dates, red dates, and sweet and bitter almonds.

Simmer over medium low heat for 45 minutes to an hour. The pears are done when you can pierce through them easily using a sharp knife.

Let it cool in the pot for 1 hour. Fish out the tea bag containing the osmanthus flowers before serving. It can be served warm or chilled.

To serve chilled, cool completely then refrigerate at least four hours or overnight.

Poaching Using Slow Cooker

Arrange all the ingredients neatly in the slow cooker pot. Add water.

Turn on the power and set to high to bring the water to a boil.

Immediately reduce to low heat and simmer for 1-1.5 hours.

Let it cool in the pot for an hour. Fish out the tea bag containing the osmanthus flowers before serving. It can be served warm or chilled.

To serve chilled, cool completely then refrigerate at least four hours or overnight.

Tips:

This sweet Chinese "cooling" dessert soup is fragrant and great for warm weather. You can poach pears using a normal pot or in a slow cooker (very convenient!).​​