Pears are an autumnal delight. I read a poem about pears today, and it inspired me to share one of my favorite pear preparations with you. It’s all the things I love about fruit desserts — simple, impressive, and delicious. Sometimes I’ll sub out the sugar with honey, just because honey is tasty (just don’t give it to children until they are at least 1 year old). 

This recipe takes about an hour and ten minutes or so, though only 10 minutes of that is hands-on. I love making this recipe a little ahead of time and heating it up for breakfast or dessert (or both, if I made enough). 

With best wishes for delicious simplicity, I give you: Vanilla-Roasted Pears with Spiced Cream.

Vanilla-Roasted Pears

4–6 ripe-but-firm pears (Red, Bartlett, Bosc, or similar)

1/2–1 vanilla pod (to taste)

3 Tbsp butter, softened 

2–3 Tbsp sugar (brown or white), optional

1. Pre-heat oven to 375*F. Place the oven rack in the center of the oven.
2. With a clean paring knife, slice open the vanilla pod lengthwise. Use a spoon or the back of the knife to scrape out the vanilla seeds. I suggest doing this over a clean, dry cutting board or dish so you don’t lose any vanilla. Reserve the pod.
3. If your butter is soft, mix it with the vanilla seeds, carefully mixing in all of the vanilla (except the pod). If it isn’t soft, just cube it into very small pieces.
4. Slice pears in half and scoop out the core, stem, and cut off the blossom end. Arrange pears cut-side-up in a glass baking dish. Sprinkle with sugar, if using. Note: if you are using white sugar and cold butter, mix the vanilla seeds with the sugar. That will make the next step easier.
5. If your butter is soft and mixed with the vanilla, drop half-teaspoonfuls over the pears. If it is cubed, scatter butter cubes and scrape vanilla seeds onto the pears as evenly as you can.
6. Add the vanilla pod and 3 Tbsp of water to the bottom of the baking dish.
7. Roast uncovered for 30 minutes or so, basting the pears occasionally. Turn the pears over and roast another 20–30 minutes or until the pears are soft all the way through, checking to make sure the pan still has some liquid in it every 6 or 7 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven when the pears are cooked through. Take out the vanilla pod, cover it with a half-cup of white sugar, and store it for another use. It’ll make the sugar smell amazing, and you can use the sugar for another dish.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Excellent served with breakfast, or with a scoop of spiced cream (below) or French vanilla ice cream for dessert. 

Spiced Cream

1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream

1 ½ Tbsp powdered sugar

½ tsp ground allspice

1 tsp vanilla or almond extract

¼ tsp ground cardamom (more if you want)

1. In a cold metal bowl, whip cream until soft peaks form. To test peak, put whisk down into cream and pull it out; the cream should form a peak that falls over at the top, like a curly-Q on a soft-serve ice cream cone.
2. At this point, sprinkle the sugar and spices over the cream. Whip until stiff peaks form — when you pull the whisk out, the peak should stand straight up. Don’t over-beat the cream; it will get lumpy and butter-like and the liquid will separate. I like to do the last mix by hand to prevent over-whipping.* Keep the cream covered in the fridge until service.

*If you do over-whip, no problem; save the clotting cream for pancakes or waffles and start again.