Spiced Wine Poached Pears with Black Currant Reduction

1 bottle red wine
1/2 Tbsp Nutmeg
1 Whole Clove
1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp lemon juice
4 pears
1/4 cup black currant juice (or 1 cup fresh black currants and 1/2 C water)
1 Tbsp Grand Marnier
5 oz mascarpone
1 Tbsp Honey
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
Fresh Berries & Mint (garnish)                                                                         

Halve and pit the pears, leaving the stems. Bring the wine, nutmeg, clove and cinnamon to simmering and add the pear halves. Simmer the pear halves until they are tender, 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and reserve 1/2 cup of the poaching liquid.  Chill the pears in the poaching liquid for 24 hours. Less time is fine, but at least a few hours is best.

Add the black currant juice to the reserved poaching liquid and bring to a simmer.  Reduce to 1/2 cup.  If you don't have black currant juice, you can make it.  In a small, 1 qt, pot, crush the black currants.  Add 1/2 water and simmer, until there is 1/2 C of liquid.  Strain out the seeds.

In a separate bowl, whip the mascarpone, honey and vanilla with a fork.

When ready to serve, slice the pears from the base to the stem, but not all the way through.  Add a spoonful of the mascarpone mixture and a small handful of berries. Garnish with mint and the black currant reduction.