Baked Pears with Cream and Honey Cracker Crumbs

Sometimes I keep desserts like this one for baked pears to myself because they don’t seem complex enough to constitute an actual recipe. In a day and age where bacon vinaigrette (yum!) and beeramisu (yum?) are the norm for food blogging, it can seem silly to share an incredibly simple dish like this. But what I often have to remind myself is that when I first started cooking and baking, I didn’t even know what basic ingredients like egg wash exactly were and found myself desperately searching online for some of the more simple techniques and recipes I could carry out in my kitchen. The great thing about low-maintenance dishes like this are that while they are easy enough for inexperienced bakers, they can be enjoyed by both those who are and aren’t regulars in the kitchen.

While I love creating thoughtful, elaborate desserts, I can appreciate a simple dessert like this when I’ve spent a fair amount of time cooking my main meal. Not only are baked pears a cinch to make, but they don’t require many ingredients, making them a wonderful dessert to make on the spot. My favorite part of this dish, however, is the heavy cream that’s poured over the warm fruit. The cream ends up becoming slightly warm too from the hot pears that have just come out of the oven, transforming the cream into this divine consistency that just seeps into the pears, making them more luxurious. There’s also various textures that play together in each bite. You get the tender, sweet pear, the silky cream, and then crunchy cookie crumbs all combined together. It’s just the kind of dessert you can whip up for a casual afternoon by yourself or a dinner gathering with friends. 

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Baked Pears

Yield: 2

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Ingredients

• 1 in d'Anjou pear, see note, cut half lengthwise
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp heavy cream
• 1/2 a honey graham cracker or Digestive biscuit, crushed

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut a sliver off the rounded side of each pear half so that the pear halves rest without wobbling sideways. Sprinkle a teaspoon of brown sugar over each pear half.
2. Bake the pears for 10 minutes. Once removed from the oven, let them cool for a minute or two just until you can peel their skin off without burning your fingers.
3. Immediately transfer the pear halves to your serving plate. Pour a tablespoon of heavy cream over each pear half before sprinkling with cookie crumbles.

Notes

You can remove the skin off the pears beforehand or wait to peel them after they've baked (the skin comes off easier once they've baked).