Delicious Dessert: Pear Burritos

  Fresh pears make a delightful addition to oatmeal on a cold winter morning. They can perfectly augment a simple lunch of cheese and crusty bread, or add depth and sweetness to a deliciously simple roasted turkey and brie Panini.  And the luscious joy of eating a perfectly ripe pear right out of hand should not be underestimated.

The fact is, on any given day, serving whole or sliced pears is absolutely effortless; but roasting pears is nearly as easy.   

Throughout fall and winter, one of my favorite treats is, in fact, pears tossed with a bit of melted butter and allowed to bask in the heat of a fairly high oven until their sugars caramelize and their flesh becomes perfectly and delectably tender.  You can roast just about any kind of pear as long as they are slightly firm and fragrant.  But, I have my favorites.

Tiny Seckel pears, available primarily in the autumn, are perfectly divine roasted whole or halved and served with roasted meats or atop salads with sweet glazed nuts and pungent blue cheese.  And I love the locally grown heirloom varieties that I can find at the farmer’s market in September and October, as they seem to possess an incomparable perfume and depth of sweetness.  But, during the mid-winter months, I love the brilliant deep maroon shade of the Red Anjou, which enjoys an extra-long season from mid-October through early-May.

One of my favorite things to do with Anjou pears is to slice them thinly, toss them with butter, and roast them in the oven until they’re just tender and beginning to brown.  While the pears roast, I’ll make an orange-scented sauce with apple juice, sugar, and warming spices.  And then, as the pears come out of the oven, I’ll wrap them in a flour tortilla with a dollop of mascarpone and a few dried sour cherries and then bake the luscious little packets with cinnamon and sugar until they’re crisp and warm.

Serve with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or an additional dollop of mascarpone for a company-worthy dessert. 

Pear Burritos with Mascarpone, Dried Cherries and Cinnamon Orange Sauce

You can find this recipe, along with plenty of other mouthwatering dishes, on GoBoldWithButter.com  Seriously -- you should check it out.  So. Much. Good. Food. 

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