Fruit compotes have a long history in gourmet dining, and almost every country has its own version: komposta in Greece and kompot in Russia, for example. The best-known compotes are those of the French, and as you’d expect of French cooking, they’re usually cooked with copious amounts of butter.

This version is lighter on the butter, relying on Irish whiskey for its decadence. You can serve a compote on its own, or top it with fresh cream, creme fraiche, or Cool Whip, depending on your taste, mood, or budget. It’s even better as a topping itself, with the warm pears melting into a cool scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

Slow-cooking these pears is like simmering potpourri: the whole house will smell like a Bangalore spice shop.

I luckily inherited a collection of amber glass compote dishes from my fiance's mother.

Whiskey-Poached Pears Recipe

4 Bosc pears
1/2 cup Irish whiskey
1/4 cup butter, cut into small pieces
1 tbsp honey
6 whole star anise
8-11 whole cloves (about 1 tbsp)
1 tsp whole peppercorns
1 whole cinnamon stick

Directions: Cut pears into quarters and remove stems and core. Slice into thin slices. Combine all ingredients in the bottom of slow cooker. Cook on low for 3-4 hours.

Warm and spicy meets cool and creamy.

Tips: Be sure and remove the whole spices before serving to anyone who doesn’t know to avoid crunching into whole pieces of star anise and peppercorn.

Adjust the spices to your own taste, adding a dusting of extra black pepper before serving, or cutting back on the cloves as your preferences dictate. You can use ground spices if you have them on hand, keeping the proportions to no more than about a half teaspoon apiece.

The longer you cook the compote, the more the pears will caramelize and the spices will infuse their aroma and flavor. Add extra whiskey if you want, but be aware that the liquid will not cook down in a slow cooker, which keeps the moisture in. Any liquid added will remain in the crock, so expect a soupier compote.

Leftover pears can be treated like a chutney, so you can enjoy them later on a pork sandwich, spread on toast like a chunky jam, or eaten with Brie on a piece of baguette.