Sometimes, you feel the urge for a sophisticated dessert without much fuss about how it's prepared. Enter baking fruits, that process where fruits bring out their natural sweetness while giving room to create whatever filling and flavors one wishes. Pears are soft, juicy, and delicate enough to serve as an excellent base for an elegant dessert. Mascarpone is an Italian cheese that has creamy richness added to the overall experience.
This is a dessert that's very easy to prepare yet has a luxurious taste: the sweetness of ripe pears blends with the smooth, slightly tangy mascarpone filling, for an ideal balance of flavors. A balsamic glaze will add a touch of acidity to cut through the richness of the mascarpone and tie everything together. Whether you are entertaining guests or treating yourself to a meal after a day of running around, this beautiful dish will impress them.
Ingredients
Method
First of all, prepare the oven to 180°C. Peel the pears by cutting them in half around the core. Take the core out with a spoon or melon baller. Place the pear halves cut sides up on a baking sheet.
In a small bowl, mix together the mascarpone cheese, honey or maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir well until the mixture is smooth and fully incorporated. Use a generous amount of mascarpone filling in the center of each pear half, leaving it well-packed.
Place the pears in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until they are tender, the filling is slightly melted, and a little bit of the top is browned. Be careful during the last minutes of baking so not to burn.
Meanwhile, make the balsamic glaze. Pour the balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan and add the brown sugar and a pinch of salt. Over medium heat, stir occasionally until the mixture simmers. Allow the glaze to cook for 5-7 minutes or until it thickens and reduces by half, turning into a syrupy consistency. Remove from heat and let it cool slightly.
Once the pears are cooked, remove from the oven and pour with balsamic glaze. Garnish with some fresh mint leaves and serve immediately while still warm.
When selecting pears for this recipe, choose a variety that's firm but ripe. Pears like Bartlett, Anjou, or Bosc work well as they will hold their shape when baking and are good and balanced in sweetness.
The balsamic glaze adds a depth of flavor to the dish. The richness of the mascarpone is contrasted with the tangy and sweet notes of the glaze. The sweetness of this can be adjusted to your liking with the addition of more or less brown sugar. For added depth, a splash of red wine may be added to the glaze.
While mascarpone is the most traditional option, you may substitute cream cheese or ricotta if you prefer a slightly firmer texture, but this dessert requires mascarpone's creamy richness.
To make this dessert even more indulgent, serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. A sprinkle of crushed pistachios or slivered almonds can add a lovely crunch, complementing the smooth mascarpone and soft pears.
This is a dessert that can be prepared in advance, ideal for dinner parties or when you want to entertain large groups of people. Fill the pears with the mascarpone a day ahead of time, seal the bags tightly, and refrigerate until ready to bake. This means you can also prepare balsamic glaze ahead, store it in an airtight container, then gently warm it up when needed to pour over the pear.
This elegant dessert is all about balance; the sweetness of the pears, the richness of the mascarpone, and the acidity of the balsamic glaze, simple yet sophisticated flavors make the Mascarpone-Stuffed Baked Pears with Balsamic Glaze undoubtedly go-to recipes for impressing guests or treating themselves to something special.