Poached Pears:
Peel the pears, leaving the stem intact.
In a small, tall saucepan, combine the red wine, maple syrup, and spices.
Stand the pears upright in the syrup and bring to a boil.
Let cook for 25 minutes at a rolling boil, until the syrup has reduced and the pears are well-colored.
Let cool completely, leaving the pears in the syrup.

Poplar-Infused Custard Cream:
Heat the milk.
Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until the mixture becomes frothy.
Gradually pour the hot milk over the egg yolks, whisking vigorously.
Place the mixture in a saucepan and thicken the cream over low heat, stirring constantly.
The cream is cooked when it coats the spoon.
Let cool completely before adding the poplar essential oil.

Assembly:
Serve the poached pears on a bed of poplar-infused custard cream.