Autumn is here. The nights are cooler, the days shorter, the summer garden is starting to wither, and autumn fruits and vegetables are filling produce stands. I’ve gone from craving tomatoes, berries, and zucchini to craving grapes, apples, pears, and butternut squash.
I have a thing for pears. I adore them and can’t imagine autumn and winter without them. That slightly soft crunch and juice running down my chin...that’s what a pear is to me. My boys have followed my pear passion, each asking for a pear to take for lunch every day, and they are disappointed when the pear basket runs empty. I usually buy Anjou or Bartlett pears for eating out of hand, so the boys were very surprised by the Bosc pears I brought home last week. They asked about the color and wanted to eat them, but these pears were for a special baked dessert.
Recipe Notes
Firm, very fresh pears work best for roasting, but if your pears are a little more tender, just reduce the second roasting time to 20 minutes or less. To core the pears, I cut it vertically down the middle then use a melon baller to scoop out the seeds. Pear sizes vary, so you may need a larger pan or use fewer pears. I found that the 9x13 dish wasn’t quite large enough and only used six of my large pears.
The original recipe from Cooking Light (2001) calls for draining plain yogurt for 24 hours, then mixing in the honey and vanilla. Now that Greek yogurt is widely available, we can skip the long draining step. And if you are really in a pinch, a carton of vanilla Greek yogurt will work just fine. You can also substitute ingredients to make it dairy-free or vegan.
Cider Honey-Roasted Pears with Vanilla Greek Yogurt
Equipment
- 9x13 baking dish, coated with cooking spray
- 1 quart saucepan
- aluminum foil
- medium bowl
Ingredients
- 8 firm Bosc pears (each cored and quartered)
- 3 tablespoons chilled butter (cut into small pieces, or dariy-free substitute)
- ¾ cup apple cider
- ½ cup honey (or vegan substitute)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
YOGURT
- 16 ounces plain low-fat Greek yogurt (or dairy-free substitute)
- 4½ teaspoons honey
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 400° F/200° C.
- Combine the apple cider, honey, lemon juice, and vanilla in the saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Distribute the butter pieces around the dish and arrange the pears in the dish. Pour the cider mixture over the pears. Cover the dish and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake until the pears are nice and tender, basting occasionally, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes.
- In the medium bowl, stir together the Greek yogurt, honey, and vanilla extract. Serve over the warm pears.
Nutrition
More Autumn Fruit Recipes
More Pear Recipes From Other Blogs
- Food Blogga – Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Pears
- Sass & Veracity – Clafoutis Two Ways: Seckel Pears and Blueberries
- The Wicked Noodle – Blackberry Pear Crumble with Almond Granola Topping
- White on Rice Couple - Rustic Brandied Pear Galette with Caramel Sauce
[Disclosure: I am a member of the Cooking Light Bloggers' Connection.]
Ashley says
Sounds amazing!! I love pears too. I am going to share this one with some friends 🙂
kristy @ the wicked noodle says
I love roasting pears! It's such a quick way to whip up a delicious dessert in no time at all. I love that you've added Greek Yogurt - YUM!!