Recipe: I Swear By Asian Pears

(See Recipe Below)

Back in the days when the Murray Hill section of Manhattan was mostly residential and there were few restaurants, there was a little pub style restaurant that served a killer weekend brunch.  The best part of the meal for me was the complimentary starter they included. While you waited for your main dish, the waiter would bring you a soup bowl with a baked apple. Stewed in brown sugar and cinnamon, the fruit was piping hot and so soft you didn’t need a butter knife to cut into it. As you sliced through the warm fruit it would mix with the sweet broth tasting like a soupy hot apple pie.  

At home, I wanted to recreate that warm welcoming experience with a twist. Instead of apple, I substituted Asian Pears.  To give it a little more texture, I decided to play with the recipe by coring the fruit and stuffing it with oats, brown sugar and blanched slivered almonds. To make it a bit more decadent, I like topping it with homemade whipped cream with a hint of vanilla and confectioners sugar.  

Now this recipe is one of my winter warmers. I love that it can be made for breakfast or dessert. 

Baked Asian Pear or Apple

 4 Asian Pears or Apples

½ cup instant Oats chopped

¼ cup slivered Almonds

¼ raisins or Cranberries (optional)

1 Tablespoon Butter

¼ cup Brown Sugar

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

1 Tablespoon of Lemon zest

Water

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Core the Pears leaving ½ an inch on the bottom

In a small bowl, soften butter and stir in the oats, almonds, lemon zest and raisins. Spoon the mixture into the core.

In a shallow baking dish, add an inch of water and sugar.  Place the pears in the water.  Brush the pears with a little butter and bake for 20 minutes or until soft to the fork.