First Desserts.

So, after talking about stock and knives, I'm gonna skip full dinner recipes right now and go onto dessert.

Why?

Well, two reasons. First- I want to show how simple some of this stuff can be. I promise I'll show some dinner recipe goodness later. Second- Let's face it, more people are drawn in and impressed by desserts. Want to impress a date? Dinner is impressive, but desserts wow.

That, and this dessert is just really. damn. amazing. and simple.


So, without further ado, let's make some caramelized pears. You can use any kind of pear, but I've found this works best with bartlett and bosc pears.

First, peel and cut about 6 pears in half lengthwise, and core them. Preheat the oven to around 350.

In the picture we have a melon baller to help us core the pears, but a spoon works nicely as well. Anyways, after coring the pears, use a knife to cut out the stem and butt at the top and bottom (in fact, cut a little gouge from the stem to the core. There's a little tough piece of flesh there). cut these pieces in half one more time and your pears are ready for caramelizing.

After that (or during, for those of you who like to multitask) melt 6 tbsp of butter in a pan over medium heat, mixing it with 3/4 cup sugar and 1 1/2 tsp vanilla paste.

This is the paste I use, Neilson-Massey is an awesome brand for vanilla products. You can find this consistently at Williams-Sonoma. If you're lucky you can even find it at Marshall's or TJ Maxx. Anyways, stir this mixture frequently until it starts to turn amber (this can be difficult as the paste colors your mixture a bit, and depending on the strength of your stove the timing can be anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes). At this point, add your pears to the pan. let them sit and mix with the caramel for about 2 minutes, then toss them to coat. Let them sit again, then coat again, repeat.


If your pan gets too crowded, do this step in two batches. Switch batches when the pears begin to soften. Oh, and IMPORTANT!-- Please please PLEASE don't touch the caramel sauce right now. I know it looks and smells delicious and I advocate tasting whenever possible, BUT the sugar right now is both incredibly hot, and sticks to your skin. Not only will you burn, but it will hold on and keep burning. There's a reason liquid sugar is referred to as napalm in kitchens.



Anyways, when the pears get on the softer side (you don't need them droopy, but their exterior should have some give to the press of your spatula/knife/spoon/etc) take the pan off the heat and divide the pears and sauce among however many baking dishes you have lined up.

Place in the oven for, say, 15-20 minutes, then retrieve. Let cool slightly, and then serve with fresh cream, ice cream... you get the idea. Enjoy!

So there you have it. One damn simple dessert, and frankly one of my favorites. They also take well to reheating (if you ever have any left over) so just pop them in the microwave for a couple seconds. Eating this dessert cold is a sin. This will keep for well over a week in the fridge, but I've never let it last that long.

Until next time, always enjoy the fruits of your labors.