Spiced Pear Bellinis with Cranberry Garnish

A wonderful signature cocktail for Thanksgiving or Christmas that features pear juice infused with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and allspice.  Serve "Spiced Pear Bellinis" in a flute and top with champagne and frozen cranberries and you will have a cocktail that is full of the flavors of the holidays!

 For the pear juice infusion you will need:
1 cinnamon stick
2 cardamom pods
4 whole cloves
4 whole allspice berries
1 quart of pear juice
Fresh cranberries frozen for garnish

Add spices to pear nectar in a saucepan and steep 1 hour on med-low heat.  Cool completely with spices in the pot.  Remove spices.  Chill pear nectar before serving.

Add approximately 3 tablespoons pear nectar in the bottom of a champagne flute.  Add champagne or prosecco (1 part pear nectar to 3 parts champagne).  Pour champagne very slowly as the fruit juice causes it to fizz very easily.  Add 6-8 frozen cranberries for garnish.

My daughter, Mary, created the recipe for the "Spiced Pear Bellinis" for our Thanksgiving meal.