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Prep time
1 hour 5 minutes
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Cook time
2 hours 15 minutes
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Serves
8
Author Notes
Here's a healthier alternative to Halloween candy! Pears are in season in Autumn and these candied pear chips taste like healthy fruity taffy.
You can even dye them different colors, using food coloring or natural food dyes, like turmeric, beets and blueberries. I think they resemble delicate stained glass pieces in the sunlight. —Carissa Erzen
Ingredients
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2
pears (such as Barlett, Bosc and Anjou)
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1 cup
sugar
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2 cups
water
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several drops
food coloring (optional; you can use food coloring or natural food dye, like turmeric, beets or blueberries)
Directions
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Slice the pears into ⅛-inch slices on a mandolin or with a sharp knife. A madolin will help create more even slices, so they will bake more evenly in the oven.
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If you're making all the pears one color (or not coloring them at all), pour all the sugar and water into one pot and set it on the stove to simmer.
If you're making the pears two different colors, pour half the sugar and half the water in one pot and the other half the sugar and water in a separate pot. Set both on the stove to simmer. Add the food coloring and stir until it is dissolved.
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Once all the sugar and food dye (if using) is dissolved, add in the pear slices and simmer for 15 minutes.
Turn off the heat and let the pear slices soak in the syrup for one hour.
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Preheat the oven to 250°F.
Remove all the pear slices from the syrup and lay them without overlapping on a baking sheet.
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Bake the pear slices for one hour.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and flip all the pear slices over and turn the baking sheet 180° when you put it back in the oven, so the pear slices that were at the back are now at the front, for even baking.
Bake for another 30 minutes to 45 minutes, depending on how soft & chewy (30 minutes) or harder like taffy (45 minutes) you want your candied pear. Keep an eye on them during this last baking session, to make sure none of the smaller/thinner slices burn. Enjoy!
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