Poached pears

1. In a large saucepan, combine lemon zest, cinnamon stick, allspice, ground pepper, apple cider, and 1 cup water.

2. Add pears. Cover with waxed paper to prevent discoloring. Bring to a simmer. Cook, turning pears occasionally, until easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife, but not falling apart, about 20 minutes. Remove pears from liquid; transfer to large bowl.

3. Raise heat to high; boil cider mixture until reduced to a syrup, about 15 minutes. Discard cinnamon. Pour syrup over pears; refrigerate. To serve, slice off a sliver from the bottom of each pear (so it stands upright).

4. To serve, pour some syrup over the pars, add a scoop of ice cream and drizzle with some caramel sauce.