Do you ever walk into the grocery store and find yourself smitten with some piece of fruit you see in the entrance? This was one of those times. I walked in … and there were these gorgeous pears … I was intrigued, and then drawn, and then … I just had to have them. I wasn’t intending to buy pears, but there they were, in their beautious shape, and some with that lovely green/yellow pear glow and a blush of pink. Oh what beauty! I picked out a large bunch of the most perfect pears in the store and decided I must share these beauties with my parents and my sister that I was going to visit last weekend.
I remembered the gorgeous roasted pears I made last summer and decided I need to introduce my family to this magic. So I stopped by the “gourmet cheese” section on my way out and picked up some Mascarpone, a treat you will rarely find at my parents’ place because they live in a more remote area, where things like Mascarpone and perfect pears are not easily obtained. The perfect foods you find at my parents’ place are grown by them … or, in this case, imported by one of the daughters.
They were surprised by the pears when I served them: someone said they expected them to be overly sweet, but they’re not. This dessert has just a hint of sweet, very light, the pears tender and juicy, with a creamy crunchy filling. It’s a great dessert option after a big meal when you want something elegant that won’t weigh you down. Roasting pears changes their texture entirely and brings out their character in a way you perhaps didn’t quite expect, but are quite pleased to discover.
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Roasted Pears with Maple Nut Mascarpone Filling
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 4 ripe pears
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the filling:
- 8 oz. mascarpone cheese
- 1/4 cup real maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup toasted pecans or walnuts
For the top: whole pecans or walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F. Wash and slice the pears in half vertically, then use a spoon or melon baller to scoop out the core.
- Set the pears in a baking pan, cut side up. In a small bowl, mix together the maple syrup and vanilla, then brush the tops of the pears with the syrup. Set the pears in the oven to roast for 25 – 35 minutes or until tender.
- While the pears are baking, in a small bowl, mix together the filling ingredients.
- When the pears are tender, pull them out of the oven and spoon a scoopful of the filling into the “hole” for each pear. Top each half with a whole nut. Some of the mascarpone filling will melt down into the bottom of the pan to make a delightful “sauce”. Serve a half pear to each person, drizzled with the sauce.
Notes
RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/
© Copyright 2014, Sumptuous Spoonfuls. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to publish any of my images, please ask first. If you want to republish this recipe as your own, please re-write the recipe in your own words or link back to this post for the recipe.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pear half
This recipe was shared at Sunday Dinner Party, Weekend Potluck, What to Do Weekends and Totally Talented Tuesday.
1 comment
Will have to make this . Sounds yummy.