Elegant and Easy Baked Pears
This is one of the easiest and prettiest recipes I make. They are also so warm and yummy on a cold winter night. Since it is down in the 20's here and actually 7 degrees while I write this, I thought some baked pears were in order. Pears are drenched in maple syrup, {you can use pancake syrup, but real maple syrup is just the best} baked and then covered with whip cream for a delightfully warm and yummy and I like to think somewhat healthy dessert.
Ingredients:
Pears - one for each person
Maple Syrup - Real syrup is the best but any will work. 2-3 Tbs per pear
Whipped Cream - 1/4 to 1/2 cup for each pear
Method
Wash each pear and slice a little off the bottom so they sit flat. You can peel a little stripe down each side, or around the pear just for effect. Place all pears in a glass baking dish. Drizzle with maple syrup. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes depending on the ripeness of your pears. The pear pictured was at that perfect ripe eating stage and it took about 30 minutes to be fully baked. Important- baste the pears every 10 minutes or so with the maple syrup from the bottom of the dish. The syrup will caramelize as the pear bakes. When the pears are done, carefully place each pear on a plate or shallow bowl and drizzle with the hot maple syrup from the baking pan. Top with a big dollop of whipped cream and devour immediately!
