Riesling Baked Pears

From EatingWell: October/November 2006 — Subscribe Now!

Here's an elegant yet simple twist on the autumn classic. Pears are oven-poached in Riesling wine, which is known for its floral accents and aromas and hints of honey and pear. Serve this dessert with lightly sweetened ricotta cheese. Delicious hot, room temperature or chilled.

READER'S COMMENT:

"This is my "go to" dessert for dinner guests - always a hit. I never peel or core the pears. I've used Reisling, crystallized ginger and honey with creme fraiche or mascarpone - port, slivered almonds and dried cherries with a drizzle of...

4 servings

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

4 ripe pears, preferably Bosc, with stems, washed and dried
2 cups Riesling or other fruity white wine
1/4 cup honey
4 cinnamon sticks
4 bay leaves
4 strips orange zest, (see Tip)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Cut a thin slice off the bottom of each pear, so they will stand upright. Arrange the pears in a 9- to 10-inch pie pan or similar baking dish. Whisk wine and honey in a medium bowl until well blended; pour over the pears. Add cinnamon sticks, bay leaves and orange zest to the wine mixture around the pears.
Roast the pears, basting every 15 minutes, until they are wrinkled and tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the type of pear used.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pears to shallow dessert bowls. Pour the wine mixture into a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Boil until slightly thickened, about 6 minutes. Drizzle over the pears and garnish with the cinnamon sticks, bay leaves and orange zest. Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.

Tip: Scrub the orange first—and if it's an organic orange, so much the better—then use a vegetable peeler to remove strips of orange zest, leaving behind any of the bitter white pith.

Nutrition

Per serving: 241 calories; 0 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 43 g carbohydrates; 1 g protein; 4 g fiber; 2 mg sodium; 176 mg potassium.

3 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 fruit, 2 other carbohydrate