I've made roasted pears with mascarpone cheese twice this fall and each time they have been perfect. Any kind of pear works. Nice red ones on the holiday!
The great thing about this is that the pears can be somewhat unripe. A bit crunchy to the bite. But perfect baked.
Cut pears in half. Leave stem in or out. Cut out (or if very ripe, scoop out) the seeds and core. You want a good soup spoon hollow in each pear.
Place them cut side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a buttered dish. Fill cavity with honey and butter or brown sugar and butter. Add some nuts if desired. Place a cinnamon stick, star anise and cardamom pod next to the pears if you want. Bake for about 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees until the juices are flowing and you have a caramelized run-off. Make sure they aren't mushy, so test after 15 minutes to see how nicely a knife slices through. Then bake another 5-10 minutes cut side down.
Take about 1/8 cup mascarpone for each pear and whip with a little cream to make a whipped topping. (I use an immersion blender. Mix with a little honey and the caramelized juice. Maybe a little lemon. Vanilla or other extract (coffee?)Or a liqueur. Get creative. Spoon some of the caramelized juice on the plate, place a dollop of cream into each pear. Sprinkle with sweetened sugar (vanilla sugar or lemon sugar, for instance) and chopped nuts (pistachios?) Or serve with the cinnamon stick, star anise and cardamom on the plate.
Delicious!
