Baked pears and walnuts
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
- 8 pears, ripe and firm, halved
- 50g raisins
- 6 tbsp chopped walnuts
- 5 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 100ml water
- for the syrup:
- 200g granulated sugar
- 80ml water
- pinch cream of tartar
- pinch salt
Method
- For the syrup, combine the sugar, water, cream of tartar and salt in a large pan and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover for 3 mins. Take off the lid and cook, stirring often, until it gets to a soft ball stage (115C). You can check by dropping a little into a bowl of cold water – if you can form a ball with it in the water and it flattens again when you take it out, you have the right stage. Set aside to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4, halve pears lengthwise and scoop out cores so you have a cavity (like an avocado when you’ve removed the stone). Mix the raisins, walnuts, sugar, and lemon juice in a small bowl and use to fill the cavity of each pear.
- Place pears stuffed side up in a baking dish with a lid. Mix together syrup and water and pour over. Cover the dish and bake for about 75 mins, or until the pears are easily pierced with a fork.
- Serve warm or cold with the syrup
- spooned over.
