This holiday, we received a beautiful box of Anjou pears in the mail. Here in Hawaii, we don’t have many pear trees around except for a few growing in the cooler, higher elevations of the Big Island such as in Kamuela. Needless to say, this box of ripe and delicious pears from Harry and David was a real treat and a change from our normal bounty of mangos, papayas, pineapples and bananas. (I am not complaining)!
As there are only two of us living at home now, there were just too many pears for us to eat by ourselves. Luckily, we were invited to a dinner party. Like almost all dinner parties on the Big Island, the guests bring along a dish to share. I was asked to bring dessert. We had just returned from the mainland so had very few items in our refrigerator. I did however have these gorgeous pears and a bag of candied pecans; presents that arrived in the mail and were waiting for us when we got back from our trip! I decided to roast the pears with our honey. I found this simple yet delicious recipe for honey and butter baked pears in Saveur magazine. I did a few minor changes being that I wanted to incorporate the lovely candied pecans from Georgia. Next time I will try it with lightly roasted Macadamia nuts that are easier for us to find in Kona!
The pears were a hit at the party! Soft and caramelized with an herbal accent, the flavors melded together for a sweet yet refreshing treat. Perfect for a light dessert after a heavy winter meal.
Serves 6
1 hour, 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 6 Anjou pears, peeled, halved, and cored
- 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
- Kosher salt
- 5 sprigs thyme
- 4 dried bay leaves
- ½ cup Big Island Bees Macadamia Blossom honey
- ½ cup chopped toasted, candied nuts
- Fresh cream, crème fraiche or vanilla ice cream to accompany pears.
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°. On a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet, arrange the pears cut-side-up in a single layer.
- Top each pear half with butter and season lightly with salt. Scatter the thyme and bay leaves over the pears and drizzle with honey.
- Bake the pears, turning them every 15 minutes to coat in the butter and honey, until they are tender and caramelized, about 1 hour.
- Transfer the pears to a warmed dish. Scatter the top with the chopped nuts and serve while hot with a pour of chilled cream or a small scoop of ice cream.
