The ultimate holiday jam: seckel pears in cranberry jelly with star anise

Seckel pears are so cute you want to pinch them. Also know as "sugar pears", these tiny, perfect fruits have a white juicy flesh that is very sweet and spicy in flavor and ideal for jam or baking. We've decided to cook them cored but whole, floating in an heirloom cranberry tinted jelly with whole star anise.  This is top shelf, fancy pants jam that screams holiday cheer.

We got the seckel pears and the heirloom cranberries from our friends at Breezy Hill Orchards in Staatsburg, NY. The folks at the farm stand in Park Slope are nice as can be, although they don't allow us the satisfaction of haggling as much as the crew over at Red Jacket.