Desserts - Pears Poached in Green Tea

First make Matcha Cream:

1 cup low-fat or nonfat vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup whipping cream
2 1/2 t confectioners' sugar
2 t matcha dissolved in 1 T very hot water (optional)

Line a sieve or colander with cheesecloth (or coffee filter lined with filter paper) and set over a bowl leaving at least 1/2" clearance from the bottom. Spoon in yogurt, cover and let drain in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Discard whey. Whip cream in small bowl until soft peaks form; add sugar and continue whipping until firm peaks form. Fold in drained yogurt, along with matcha mixture, if using. Cover and refrig for up to 2 days.

1/4 cup Matcha Cream
4 cups water
1 1/2 T green tea leaves, preferably sencha
1 cup sugar
1 T chopped crystallized ginger
1/2 t almond extract
4 firm ripe Anjou or Bosc pears, peeled, halved, cored
1 T sliced almonds, toasted

Bring water to boil in shallow pan or deep skillet. Stir in tea, turn off heat and let steep, covered, for 5 minutes. Pour through cheesecloth-lined sieve to remove leaves, return tea to pan. Add sugar, ginger, almond extract and bring just to a boil. Add pears, cut-side up, and poach over low heat until quite tender when pieced with a wooden skewer. Transfer to a bowl and let pears cool in the poaching liquid.

Serve at room temperature or chilled. Use a slotted spoon to place two pear halves in each dessert dish; spoon 2 T of poaching liquid over pears. Serve with a generous dollop of Matcha Cream and garnish with almonds. Serves 4.