Baked Pears With Vanilla Mascarpone Recipes

BAKED PEARS WITH BROWN SUGAR AND BUTTER

Steps:

• Prep: Preheat oven to 400F. Line a 10"x7" or a 9"x9" baking dish with parchment paper if you prefer easier cleanup, or spray it with nonstick spray. If doubling the recipe use a 9"x13" baking dish or any other rimmed baking dish that will fit pears snugly to each other (see Note 1 at the bottom).
• Peel & Core: If using a firm pear variety like Bosc, peel them. Remove the core with a melon baller or a small spoon. Leave the stems on for better visual appeal. If you're using softer pears like Anjou, keep the skin on to help them keep the shape as they bake.
• Add toppings: Set the pears cut side up inside the pan. Drizzle with lemon juice to prevent browning. Sprinkle with brown sugar mixed with nutmeg and cinnamon (if using). Arrange the cubed pieces of butter on top of the pears. Drizzle with vanilla extract.
• Bake for 30 minutes cut side up. Turn the pears cut side down. Spoon the caramel over the tops to prevent browning. Bake for another 20-50 minutes or until the pears are soft, and the caramel is thickened. The pears will shrink consierably if baked until the caramel is very thick.Bosc pears will take the longest to achieve the candied translucent look and caramelized taste. Other more delicate pear varieties will take less time to soften (Note 2 & 3).
• Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, yogurt, sour cream, or a sprinkle of roasted walnuts or sliced almonds. Spoon the caramel over the pears.

HONEY-POACHED PEARS WITH MASCARPONE

Steps:

• Toss pears with lemon juice in large bowl. Set aside. Combine 1 cup water, wine and honey in medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Stir over medium heat until honey dissolves. Add pears. Cover mixture with round piece of parchment paper. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pears are just tender when pierced, turning when half-way through cooking, about 15 minutes.
• Using slotted spoon, transfer pears to large bowl. Boil poaching liquid until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 2 minutes. Cool syrup. Pour syrup over pears. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 8 hours or overnight. Remove vanilla bean.
• Whisk mascarpone cheese, sugar and brandy in large bowl until smooth. Add 1/4 cup chilled poaching syrup and whisk until soft peaks form.
• Thinly slice each pear half lengthwise, leaving slices attached at stem end. Using metal spatula, transfer pears to plates. Gently press on pears to fan slightly. Spoon some syrup over pears. Spoon mascarpone cream alongside each pear half and serve.

CHESTNUT HONEY-BAKED PEARS STUFFED WITH MASCARPONE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine wine, 1/4 cup chestnut honey, water, cinnamon, and lemon zest in a medium saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add the seeds and the scraped bean to the pot. Bring to a simmer, stirring. Pour the poaching liquid into a baking dish just large enough to hold the pears. Keeping stems intact, remove the core from the pear using a melon baller (apple corer) entering through the base and removing only the woody core and seeds. Trim the skin off the base only of the pear and place upright in baking dish. Bake the pears about 25 to 35 minutes or until tender. You must baste the pears with the liquid every 5 to 7 minutes. The skins should be crinkly. Remove from oven and let cool in the liquid.
• Combine the mascarpone with the remaining 1 tablespoon chestnut honey. Using a pastry bag, fill each pear at its base with the mascarpone. Serve drizzled with poaching syrup.

CARAMELIZED PEARS WITH RUM RAISIN MASCARPONE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Begin by soaking the raisins. Pour hot water over raisins and add rum. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside while you prepare the rest of the dish - let rest for at least 45 minutes
• Split pears down the middle retaining stem and skin. Using a melon-baller, remove the cores. Add brown sugar and butter to a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just melted. Add lemon juice and pears, cut side down, to pan then baste with melted butter and sugar. Pop into the oven for 15 to 17 minutes until pears are tender. When done remove from oven and baste once more.
• Whisk mascarpone cream gently to loosen it up. Strain raisins and gently fold into the cream. Serve pears on a plate topped with a scoop of mascarpone cream and drizzle with pear pan juices. Top with crumbled amaretto cookies.;

RED WINE POACHED PEARS WITH MASCARPONE FILLING

Steps:

• Peel pears and leave stem intact. In a large saucepan, bring wine and an equal amount of cold water to a simmer. Split vanilla bean lengthwise and add to wine and water mixture. Add cinnamon sticks, bay leaves and sugar, to taste. Add pears to liquid and simmer for about 20 minutes or until tender. Cool pears in wine mixture to room temperature. You can refrigerate them in the poaching liquid until you're ready to fill them.
• Remove stems from pears and set stems aside. Core pears with an apple corer, leaving pear whole.
• Whisk together mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, pinch cinnamon and powdered sugar until smooth. Transfer to a pastry bag, or if you do not have one, use wax paper tightly wrapped into a cone with the corner snipped off. Pipe filling into cored pears and finish by putting the stems gently into the mascarpone filling on top of the pears.
• Bring sauce up to a simmer and reduce by half. Add butter to reduced sauce and stir until combined. Spoon generously over pears. Cool to room temperature before serving.

AMARETTO BAKED PEARS WITH MASCARPONE

Steps:

• To make almond cream - Beat butter and sugar together until combined, add flour and egg until combined. Beat in almonds, stir in 3/4 of crushed biscuits.
• Pack 1 tablespoon of almond cream into the cored out section of each pear half.
• Split the vanilla pod in half, scrape out seeds and mix with sugar. Chop vanilla pod into large pieces.
• Place pears into baking dish, sprinkle over vanilla sugar, remaining biscuits, vanilla pod pieces and drizzle with amaretto.
• Bake in over at 200C gor 10 minutes or until pears are cooked.
• Mix together mascapone and icing sugar.
• Remove pears from oven and transfere to serving plates.
• Drizzle a little extra amaretto into baking dish and stir pan juices.
• Serve pan with sweetened mascopone and the amaretto pan juices - enjoy.

BAKED PEARS WITH VANILLA MASCARPONE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Slice off the bottom of each pear just enough so it will stand upright. Using a melon baller or small spoon, remove the seeds from the bottom. Peel the upper half, leaving the stem intact; pat dry with a paper towel. Rub butter over the peeled part of each pear; stand the pears in a small baking dish (about 7 × 11 inches). Sprinkle with the sugar.
• Pour the wine into the baking dish; add the thyme sprigs, if using. Bake until the pears are soft when pierced with a paring knife and well browned, about 45 minutes; using a small spoon, baste the pears occasionally with the wine, adding a bit of water as needed to prevent the liquid from evaporating. Remove from the oven.
• Spoon some of the pan juices into each serving dish, and place a pear on top. Serve with a dollop of mascarpone and several biscotti on the side.
• Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl, and stir together with a wooden spoon.