Have you noticed how in the festive season, desserts tend to be really heavy and rich? And if you are eating a plant-based diet for health reasons, often full of ingredients you need to avoid. Which inevitably means you end up missing out. And I don’t like missing out on desserts one bit!
So say hello to these delicious spiced pears. Baked in the oven with orange juice, seasonal spices and a little maple syrup, these pears contain all the warming yumminess of the season without the dodgy ingredients. Sweet – literally 😉
I recommend using firm conference pears as these store well and so have a better texture than some other types. Try to find ripe ones as the flavour is better, but not too ripe otherwise they become very messy when you peel them. Of course, you can leave the skin on if you want to ensure you get all the pear goodness, but the skins can be a little chewy after baking. The choice is yours.
If you can’t find good fresh pears that haven’t travelled half way round the world, then tinned is an option. They just don’t contain the same array of healthful nutrients, and are much sweeter. Which of course you may prefer.
If you’re not a pear fan, then this recipe works well with plums if you can find some juicy fresh ones. Just cut in half and remove the stone, leaving the skin on of course; peeling plums really is too hard!
Once cooked, you can eat them warm straight away, or leave to cool and keep in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. And if you want to share these spicy pears with others, then just double the quantities. Play around with the spices to suit your taste too.
I like to serve these pears with some thick soya yoghurt or dairy-free custard. Ice cream or cream (dairy free again of course!) are also delicious.
Whilst I’ve designed this as a Christmas recipe, feel free to make these at any time of the year! And they’re not just for dessert; add any leftovers to the top of porridge or over night oats for an extra tasty breakfast.
I hope you enjoy these delicious baked pears. Do let me know how you get on in the comments below.
Baked spiced pears
Ingredients
- 3 medium ripe conference pears peeled, cut in half and core removed
- 1 orange juice only
- 1 teaspoon ground spices of choice eg: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves or a mix of all of them
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 170ºC.
- Place the prepared pears into an oven-proof dish.
- Pour the orange juice into a small bowl and add the spices and maple syrup. Mix well to combine. Pour the mix over the pears and ensure each slice is well coated.
- Place the dish in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the pears are soft and golden. Spoon any juices over the pears a couple of times whilst baking.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool fully
- Serve as mentioned in the text above.
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