If you’re looking for an elegant Valentine’s Day dessert that says, “I love you so much!” look no further, I have just the thing — Make Almond Poached Pears With Coconut Whip And Amaretti Crumble. It’s an intoxicating mixture of almond liqueur and pear, topped off with real coconut whipped cream and a dusting of crumbled Italian almond cookies. Just boozy enough to have a kick, but light enough to leave room for other desserts, if you know what I mean. Wink, wink.

Happy Valentine’s Day — and your welcome!

Almond Poached Pears With Coconut Whip and Amaretti Crumble

1 cup plus 4 tablespoons DiSaranno Amaretto, or other almond liqueur

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

1 lemon slice

4 small pears (Pears should be slightly underripe. I used Anjou pears, but use whatever pear you like)

1 teaspoon pure almond extract, divided

2 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided

1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

1 cup organic heavy cream, very cold

1/2 cup Wild Oats Marketplace Organic Unsweetened Flake Coconut**

6 Italian Amaretti cookies, such as Lazzaroni Amaretti Biscuits, crumbled

Peel pears, leaving the pears whole and the stems intact, set aside. In a large, deep skillet or salute pan, combine sugar and water and bring to a boil, stirring until all sugar is dissolved. Add 1 cup of DiSaranno and lemon slice to sugar syrup mixture. Lower heat and add pears. Simmer, covered for 15-20 minutes or until pears are fork tender, turning pears occasionally. Remove pears with a slotted spoon and set aside. Return amaretto/sugar syrup mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook until mixture is reduced by about half. Turn off heat, stir in 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Return pears to mixture, turning to coat completely. Cover pan and set aside.

In a chilled mixing bowl, add cold heavy cream, remaining almond and vanilla extracts and coconut extract. Whip cream mixture on high speed of an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in flaked coconut.

To serve: Spoon a tablespoon or so of the sauce onto a serving plate. Place 1 pear on top of sauce and drizzle 1 tablespoon of the remaining DiSaranno over the pear, if desired. Add a generous dollop of the whipped cream and sprinkle with some of the crumbled cookies. Enjoy!

**If you really want to take this wonderful dessert up a notch, toast the coconut in a 375 degree oven for 5 minutes and allow to cool before adding to the whipped cream.