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So far, I have only used Bosc pears for this recipe because that is what is available at our farmers' market, but I would love to try it with Bartletts. I'm guessing they would not need to cook quite as long because they are not as firm.
Serves 6
20 minutes preparation time
approximately 50 minutes minutes baking time
1/2 cup fruity white wine, such as viognier
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
6 Bosc pears
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix the wine, water, sugar, and spices in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
Peel the pears and cut them lengthwise, leaving the stems on if you like. Using a melon baller or small knife remove the core of each pear half. Arrange the pears cut side up in a baking dish large enough to hold them in a single layer. Pour the syrup over the pears. Don't wash the pan yet, in case you want to use it to thicken the sauce (see below).
Bake the pears for about 25 minutes, removing them from the oven once or twice to baste them in the juices. Turn the pears over and continue to roast them until they are tender when pierced with a knife. Depending on the size of the pears, this could take anywhere from an additional 15 to 35 minutes. Again, remove the baking dish from the oven once or twice and spoon the juices over the pears.
If you would like to thicken the sauce after the pears have finished cooking, pour the sauce from the baking pan into the saucepan and warm the sauce over medium heat. Simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally until it thickens into a syrup.
Serve the pears with some of the syrup drizzled on top. A scoop of ice cream, a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream or creme fraiche would make an excellent accompaniment, as would a crisp cookie.
Jobs for children: Measuring and grating nutmeg can be done my children most ages. Slightly older children can peel the pears and remove the cores. With a melon baller, even littler ones can help with the coring. The oldest children can help slice the pears and stir the syrup.