Simple to prepare and stylish to serve, this rich and flavorful dessert is the perfect way to celebrate autumn’s arrival
Ingredients (makes 4 servings)
4 ripe pears, ideally Bosc, with stems, washed
and dried
2 cups Riesling or other fruit-forward white wine
1/4 cup honey
4 cinnamon sticks
4 bay leaves
4 pithless strips orange zest, (tip: cut with a vegetable peeler)
METHOD
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut a thin slice off the bottom of each pear to enable them to stand upright. Place the pears in a 9- to 10-inch pie pan or similar baking dish. Whisk the wine and honey together in a bowl until blended, then pour the mixture over the pears. Add the bay leaves, cinnamon sticks and orange zest to the wine/honey mixture around the base of the pears.
Roast the pears, basting them every 15 minutes, for a total of 45 minutes to 1 hour. The pears should be slightly wrinkled and tender, depending on the variety used.
Transfer the pears to a platter or shallow bowls using a slotted spoon. Pour the wine/honey mixture into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. Boil until slightly thickened, approximately 6 minutes.
Drizzle the thickened sauce over the pears and garnish with the cinnamon sticks and orange zest at their bases. Make a small slit near the top of each pear and insert a bay leaf into each slit for decoration.
Serve them warm, at room temperature or chilled. The pears pair nicely with vanilla ice cream, sweetened ricotta or whipped cream.
