Slow-Roasted Pears With Hazelnuts, Honey & Mascarpone Recipe

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 190°C or 170°C fan.
2. Mix lemon juice and caster sugar into one litre of water and stir to dissolve the sugar; halve and core the pears and place in the water.
3. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean; reserve the bean and place the seeds in a small bowl with the butter and brown sugar; mix well until soft and spreadable.
4. Remove the pears from the water and spread the butter mixture over the cut sides; pour 700 ml of the water into a deep baking pan, place the pears into the pan, cut-side up; place the vanilla bean halves in the water and cover the pan with foil; pierce the foil in four places.
5. Bake the pears for 11/2 hours until they are tender.
6. Place the pears in shallow bowls and spoon over a little of the cooking syrup; drizzle with honey and scatter with hazelnuts; and serve warm or at room temperature with mascarpone.
7. TIP: Check the water level in the baking pan from time to time during the cooking time, and add a little more water if too much has evaporated.