Caramelized Pears with Spiced Ice Cream |
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Prep Time: 18 Minutes Cook Time: 53 Minutes |
Ready In: 71 Minutes Servings: 6 |
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Spiced ice cream gently melts over warm and tender vanilla-poached pears. To make the dessert ahead, bake the pears, and refrigerate them before broiling. When you're ready to serve dessert, sprinkle the pears with sugar, and broil-perfect for easy entertaining. Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups vanilla reduced-fat ice cream, softened |
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice or ground cinnamon |
3 ripe bosc pears |
cooking spray |
1 teaspoon lemon juice |
1 tablespoon butter, melted |
1 cup pear nectar |
1 (3-inch) piece vanilla bean, split lengthwise |
2 tablespoons honey |
1/4 cup riesling or other slightly sweet white wine or pear nectar |
1 tablespoon sugar |
2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted |
Directions:
1. Combine ice cream and allspice in a freezer-safe container; stir well. Cover; freeze 2 hours or until firm.
2. Preheat oven to 375°.
3. Peel and core pears; cut each pear in half lengthwise, leaving stems intact. Place pears, cut sides down, in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Brush pear halves with lemon juice; drizzle with melted butter.
4. Place pear nectar in a small saucepan. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean; add seeds and bean to nectar. Stir in honey. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Pour boiling mixture over pears. Cover loosely with foil; bake at 375° for 35 minutes, basting frequently with cooking liquid. Uncover; turn pears over. Stir in wine. Bake, uncovered, 10 minutes, basting occasionally with cooking liquid. Remove pears from oven.
5. Preheat broiler.
6. While broiler preheats, discard vanilla bean. Turn pears, cut sides down, and sprinkle with sugar. Broil 3 to 5 minutes or until sugar is caramelized (add additional pear nectar, as needed, if liquid boils away). Remove pears from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Place pear halves in each of 6 dessert dishes; drizzle cooking liquid evenly over each pear. Top each pear half with 1/4 cup ice cream, and sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon almonds.
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