Full disclosure, this Roasted Pear Martini might just become your go-to celebratory sipper for fall! I’ve had my favorite fall cocktail on lock down for almost 3 years now, but this pear and cardamom flavored martini is really something special and it tastes like it.
I love fall produce of all kinds, you know that, but in my personal opinion there isn’t a big enough buzz made during the fall about pears! I swear once September hits everyone jumps right on the apple and pumpkin band wagon and forgets all about the beautiful pears that are at their peak right now.
Other than eating my weight in fresh D’Anjou and Tosca pears, one of my favorite ways to prepare them is to make a super versatile pear sauce to keep on hand in my fridge. I use pear sauce for ALL sorts of things! Kids (and adults) will love snacking on bowls of pear sauce just as it is, you can use pear sauce anywhere you would use apple sauce in baking recipes, or you can invite your friends over and mix it up into a fancy Roasted Pear Martini like I do.
While I have enjoyed many a martini out and about they have always intimidated me a bit when it came to making them at home. I don’t know why, it just seemed like they should be harder to make than they actually are I guess. At any rate, once I decided to jump in and create a martini recipe, I knew that I better do a bit of research first. If you are a martini making pro, I feel confident you already know the answer to these, but if you are a newbie like me I figured I’d break it all down for you.
Gin or pear vodka, which one will you choose?
This may be your hardest decision to make in the entire martini making process!! My girlfriends and I all agreed that we really like pear vodka in this recipe. It amplifies the flavor of the roasted pear sauce and yields a sweeter martini. Just be careful, because the pear vodka makes this martini so easy to sip you might question whether there was alcohol in it at all. My husband on the other hand is all about the gin in this martini. The piney flavor of gin actually pairs really well with the roasted pears and cardamom too, but it remains very prevalent in the finished drink and creates a cocktail that is a bit more savory, which for me lends itself to slower sipping.
Now that you’ve got the liquor sorted out you need to decide what type of simple syrup you will be creating.
Do you have some time for the syrup to work nice and slow or are you in a rush to sip on a Roasted Pear Martini?
There is really no wrong answer here – if you are planning for a girls night in or a holiday feast, you probably have a few days and can afford to make the whole cardamom pod infused simple syrup. This syrup takes 3 days to come to its full flavor, but it is SO worth it! You can really taste the richness of it in the martini. However, if you are hosting an impromptu gathering or you just want to quickly create a few fancy cocktails for tonight’s date night in, you can make a great cardamom syrup unless than 10 minutes on the stove using ground cardamom. The flavor won’t be nearly as intense as the whole pod syrup, but it is still really delicious! Whichever one you choose I included the recipe in the recipe box below for you.
Ingredients
- To make the whole cardamom pod infused syrup:
- 1 cup Water
- 1/4 cup Whole Green Cardamom Pods:
- 1 cup white sugar
- To make the roasted pear sauce (makes 1 large jar of sauce):
- 6 Pears, peeled, cored, sliced from top to bottom
- 1/4 to 1/2 cups Water
- To make the roasted pear martini (makes 1 drink):
- 1/2 ounce Extra Dry Vermouth
- 1 ounce Gin or Pear Vodka
- 1 ounce Lemon juice
- 1 ounce Roasted Pear Puree
- 1 ounce Cardamom Simple Syrup
- To make the optional brûlée pear garnish:
- 1 thin slice of fresh pear per martini
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar per pear
This is THE cocktail recipe you've been waiting for. Roasted pears, piney gin, and pear vodka with cardamom syrup are ready for shakin'!
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Instructions
To make the optional brûlée pear garnish:
- If making this garnish, prepare the brûlée pears BEFORE you make the martini in the cocktail shaker.
- Thinly slice pears on a mandolin and lay flat on a baking sheet.
- Sprinkle granulated sugar over the top of each pear and either broil under the broiler until the sugar caramelizes or carefully caramelize with a kitchen torch.
To make the whole cardamom pod infused syrup:
- Bring the water and cardamom pods to a boil in a small saucepan.
- Stir in the sugar until fully dissolved. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool, transfer to an airtight container and infuse in the refrigerator for 3 days, before straining out the cardamom pods. (This syrup will keep in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.)
To make the roasted pear sauce (makes 1 large jar of sauce):
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Lay prepared pears cut side down on a baking pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until soft to the touch.
- Let cool slightly. Transfer the pears to a blender along with 1/4 cup water.
- Puree until the pears are thoroughly blended, you may need to add the additional 1/4 cup of water if your puree is still too thick.
- Let cool. Transfer to a glass jar with a tight fitting lid and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
To make the roasted pear martini (makes 1 drink):
- In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add the pear puree, gin or vodka, dry vermouth, lemon juice, and the cardamom syrup.
- Shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a brûlée pear (if using).
No time to wait 3 days for the cardamom pod syrup to infuse? You can make this super easy cardamom syrup on the stove top using ground cardamom in just a few minutes! 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup sugar 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom Combine water and sugar over low heat until melted together, add cardamom. Allow to cool completely. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Nutritional Information
Per Serving (Martini Shaker)
- Calories: 1693
- Fat Content: 2.3g
- Cholesterol Content: 0mg
- Sodium Content: 35mg
- Carbohydrate Content: 423.8g
- Fiber Content: 45.5g
- Sugar Content: 343.2g
- Protein Content: 5.5g
