Baked Pear in Lavender Syrup

By Sydney • September 12, 2011 • 2 Comments

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Author Notes: Honestly, this recipe was a spur of the moment solution for the need of a sweet ending to a fall dinner. If I had the usual neccessities in my fridge/freezer, i would have certainly served this over vanilla ice cream or with a dollop of whipped cream; however, all I had since I was running around all weekend was a glorious, local chèvre, freshly picked barlett pears, and lavender sugar. I decided to put two and two together and low and behold, I was far from disappointed. This not only satisfied my sweet tooth, it introduced a whole new way to appreciate a pear. I loved the sweet, herbal infusion from the lavender with the subtle zing from the goat cheese. Nonetheless, this could easily be dressed up or down, in a myriad of ways, depending on your patience and/or what's in your icebox. Enjoy :) - Sydney

Serves 1-?

1/4 cup organic castor sugar infused with lavender seeds
1/4 cup water
1-2 pears (I used Bartlett because they were local)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
a few ounces your favorite chèvre or any similar soft cheese

preheat oven to 350 degrees
make a simple syrup with the lavender sugar and water: combine the sugar and the water in a saucepan over medium-high heat until they dissolve. lower heat to medium-low and stir, watching as they create an intoxicating aromatic syrup. take off the hear and add the vanilla extract.
slice your pear(s) in half at their midsection. Using a melon baller, or a sharp knife and spoon, hollow out the core.
place the fruit cut side down in the pan with the syrup and move the whole thing into the oven. After about 20 minutes, take a spoon and drizzle some of the the syrup onto the fruit. Continue baking until tender ~ about 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of your pear(s).
If your chèvre is creamy enough, take a spoonful and place it inside the bottom half of your pear. It could be cute to reconstruct your pear at this point and bake for a little bit longer to warm the cheese. However, you could also whip the chèvre with some of the syrup from the pan until creamy or mousse-like and add it to your dessert before serving (I took this route and though it was slightly cool, the heat from the pear warmed the cheese by the time I sat down to eat it).
plate your halved pear however suits you. Garnish with a sprig of lavender if available and enjoy.