Vanilla Roasted Pears is the perfect fall dessert; roasting brings out their natural sweetness, and you'll end up with a lovely vanilla-scented pear caramel sauce in the bottom of the pan that you can drizzle on top of the fruit when serving.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar, lightly packed
½ of a vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise and seeds scraped out
6 medium (about 2 lb) pears, any kind you like (I used Bartlett)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375F. Combine the sugars and vanilla seeds in a small bowl and set aside; reserve the vanilla pod.
Peel the pears (if desired), then cut them in half, scoop out round part of the core with a melon baller, and use a paring knife to cut out the rest of the core (leaving the stem intact, if desired). Arrange the pears cut side up in a roasting pan.
Drizzle the lemon juice on top, then sprinkle on the sugar and dot the tops with butter. Pour the water into the bottom of the pan and nestle the vanilla pod into the dish.
Roast until the pears are tender and caramelized (a paring knife inserted into the center should slide right out), and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 35 to 55 minutes (depending on how ripe your pears are). While cooking, flip the pears once halfway through and occasionally spoon some of the juices from the bottom of the pan onto the pears.
Pour the pan juices into a small pitcher and serve alongside the pears to drizzle on top.