Categories: Fruit Dessert

Ingredients

• 6 Comice pears, peeled but left whole
• 1 cup sugar plus 1/4 cup sugar
• 6 Tbsp. water
• 1/2 rich red wine, such as Barbera or zinfandel
• 1 Tbsp. dark rum
• 3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
• 3/4 cup mascarpone

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place pears standing up in a baking pan just large enough to contain them.

3. To make the caramel: Place 1 cup sugar and the water in a small heavy saucepan and cook over medium heat without stirring until syrup is dark golden. Immediately pour it over the pears and turn them around to coat them well with the caramel. Be careful, caramel is very hot.

4. Add red wine and rum to the baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the cocoa. Place in oven and bake 1 hour, basting pears occasionally with juices in pan. Pears should be tender and slightly shriveled when done.

5. Serve slightly warm with spoonful of mascarpone on the side. (Use a scoop of ice cream or crème fraiche in place of the mascarpone, if desired.)

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