Dutch oven baked pears – Pere cotte al forno
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
$4-6 total*
6 whole pears
Ingredients
- 6 firm, ripe Bosc pears, peeled
- 2 tbsps of granulated sugar
- 120 ml (about 1/2 cup) water
- 1 cinnamon stick, broken in 1/2 (or cinnamon powder)
- 4-6 almonds, crushed
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
Place the water and 1 tbsp of sugar in a dutch oven. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has melted. Add the cinnamon.
While waiting for the liquid to simmer, peel the pears leaving the top part attached and cutting a thin slice off the bottom of each pear (this will help the pears to stand upright while cooking and served – see image below).
Add the pears to the water and sugar, placing them standing inside the dutch oven. Sprinkle each pear with some sugar.
Cover the dutch oven with the lid and bake for 30-35 minutes, basting after 15 minutes.
Transfer the pears to a serving dish or bowl.
If using the cinnamon stick, remove it from the remaining liquid and place the dutch oven on the stove. Bring the liquid to a simmer until slightly thickened into a syrup, about 6-10 minutes (it depends on how much liquid is left).
Drizzle the syrup over the pears and garnish with some crushed almonds.
Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
Tips & notes
- I use Bosc pears as they are crisp and mildly sweet, and they retain their shape well while being cooked.
- Avoid pears that are overripe!
- Instead of sugar, you can use honey or brown sugar.
- You can store the pears in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Serve the pears with a dollop of vanilla ice-cream to complete your dessert. This is the perfect combination, especially with warm pears!
* Price range estimated from local markets and supermarkets (it can change according to season, location and product quality)
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