Yield: 6 Servings

Recipe from Elizabeth E. Skipper

• 6Anjou or Bartlett pears – ripe
• 1⅓cup sugar & water to cover in baking dish
• 1tsp lemon juice
• 8-12oz heavy cream
• plum brandy, or another liqueur

Core the pears and peel, leaving on the stem. Put the sugar and water in a baking dish and place the pears on this bed. It does not matter if the sugar is not dissolved. Sprinkle over the lemon juice. Place in a 350-400°F oven, uncovered.

After the first fifteen, minutes, begin basting the pears with the pan juices every ten minutes. This ensures they do not dry out. Continue cooking until tender when pierced with a toothpick – knives leave large marks – probably thirty minutes total, but this depends upon the ripeness of the pears. Do not allow the pan juices to burn!

When tender, remove from the oven and set the pears in a serving dish. Whisk enough heavy cream into the caramelized pan juices to create a nice sauce consistency, flavor with the liqueur or brandy, and serve lukewarm.