Dessert or breakfast, decadent or light, simple or fancy, these pears can do it all, it’s all in how you serve them. For decadent, I spoon them over a thick smear of ricotta or mascarpone (or a blend of both), a scoop of ice cream, a dollop of whipped creme fraîche, and maybe a splash of Scotch; for lighter, I go with plain Greek yogurt. Serve straight from the baking dish with fresh baked scones or buckwheat waffles for breakfast, or tote them along to hang out with friends, they go great with cheese and wine. Enjoy the flavors of autumn.
Caramel Pears
recipe can be scaled up
Ingredients
- 2 d'anjou or bosc pears, firm peeled, cored and cut into 8 slices
- ricotta, mascarpone, Greek yogurt or ice cream
Caramel Sauce
- 1 tbsp dark brown sugar muscovado tastes great!
- 1 tbsp honey (or habanero honey!)
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter cut into quarters
- spritz of fresh lemon juice
- 1 star anise, 3 cloves, 5 black peppercorns any or all; optional
Instructions
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Prepare the pears and lay them in a single layer in a baking dish. Sprinkle with the brown sugar, drizzle with honey, and dot with butter. Spritz with lemon and add the spices. Cover with foil and bake 400° for 20 - 30 minutes.
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Remove from oven and use a spoon to drizzle the caramel sauce over the pear slices. Serve with ricotta, mascarpone, plain Greek yogurt, or ice cream.
