If your pears are on the dry side, the caramel will form more quickly than if they are juicy. Any variety of pears can be used in this recipe, but Bosc pears hold up especially well because of their firm texture. Almost any cheese would be great with the pears: Head to your local farmers' market or cheese shop and do some sampling.
Ingredients
Makes 6 servings
Step 1
Cook unsalted butter in large nonstick skillet over mediumhigh heat until beginning to brown. Add pear halves, cut side down, to skillet. Drizzle honey over pears and swirl pan slightly to blend butter and honey. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until pears are tender when pierced with paring knife, swirling skillet occasionally and adding a few tablespoons water to skillet if caramel sauce turns deep amber before pears are tender, about 12 minutes.
Step 2
Transfer pears, cut side up, to serving platter. Top pears with cheese. Return skillet with caramel sauce to medium-high heat; add pine nuts to skillet and sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Cook until sauce in skillet is brown and bubbling, about 2 minutes. Spoon sauce over pears and serve.
WHAT TO DRINK:
Step 3
Finish this meal on a sweet note with a late-harvest dessert wine. The honeyed pear and quince flavors of the 2006 "Le Vol des Anges" ($30) from California's Bonny Doon Vineyard are perfect with this dessert. Plus, the Roussanne grapes the wine is made from are produced using biodynamic practices.
To order artisanal American cheeses, go to artisanalcheese.com, murrayscheese.com, or cowgirlcreamery.com.
How would you rate Pears in Honey and Pine Nut Caramel with Artisanal Cheese?
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Reviews (10)
Back to TopSimple and easy. I glossed over the directions and whipped it up with gorgonzola minus the pine nuts which I didn't have on hand. Added dried cherries just because I had a lot on hand. Could add spices if using a bland cheese but the gorgonzola worked well, imho.
napchagn
2/5/2016
Because I pair this dessert with a lot of cheese-heavy entrees, I have been utilizing shortcakes and vanilla ice cream instead of artisanal cheeses. Vanilla Bean ice cream really gives this dish an apple pie a la mode feel. I love this dessert and how simple it is to prepare!
Anonymous
Glen Ellyn, IL
3/3/2011
Holy crap this is good. We had D'Anjou pears, so we went with goat cheese. Also, no pine nuts on hand so we used walnuts instead. My boyfriend is not a big dessert guy, but the savory salty-sweet aspect of this dish won him over. I just went ahead and served this alongside dinner. Much easier that way, and I am not afraid to have dessert first.
kbrow
Seattle, WA
2/2/2011
绝对惊人。这一组和服役t rave reviews. A tangy chevre is the perfect combination with the sweet, caramelized pears. I ended up toasting walnuts instead of using the pine nuts because I didn't have them. They were excellent! Also, its super easy. One of those things that you can whip up without getting the kitchen all steamy.
VanDyken1989
Richland, WA
12/31/2010
I thought this was just ok and would probably not make it again. The only exception would be to give it one more shot to see if perhaps I did something wrong and could improve my preparation. I made it with humboldt fog, my favorite cheese, and there was something strange about how the saltiness of the cheese went with the pears. Also, the carmel hardened within a few minutes into something so hard that you couldn't really eat it with the pears using a fork.
seemakumar
san francisco, ca
2/27/2010
This was the most surprisingly tasty and easy dessert. I will absolutely make this again and again. I used maple syrup instead of honey and did not use any nuts. An absolute treat!
turkeybandit
1/9/2010
I have made this dish twice. Once with good, not great, pears and once with awful pears. The first time with brie as a recommendation by the cheese monger. Would have been so much better with a stronger cheese. I think even a cambozola would be really good. Anyway, it didn't seem like it took 20 minutes. I was able to pop in and out while it cooked and then presented the whole thing on a platter which everyone ate from. I do suggest letting the caramel cool off a little before pouring over the cheese. Mine melted into a pile of salty, sweet, crunch, luscious good. Not bad, but not what I had in mind. Guests loved it.
Anonymous
Suburban Hinterlands
11/23/2009
I have made this recipe for a couple of multi-course wine dinners. It has met with rave reviews. I didn't change anything but I don't measure religiously. Always nice to be able to make a dessert that doesn't require strict measurements. I used Humbolt Fog Cheese and paired the dessert with an ice wine. Easy do-ahead and hold dessert. Seconds to finish and plate. PS.. NOT TOO SWEET! A great dessert bonus
thefoodguru
Washington State
4/30/2008
I found the recipe a bit dull. There is too much butter and not enough taste. Caramel can be made differently. Goat cheese did not go well with it at all. It must be blue cheese. Hard to make for dinner party b/c you need to disappear from the table for 20 minutes while you prepare it. So hard to make ahead (other than peeling the pears). The combination of ingredients is exciting, but somehow, it didn't work for me. This is not a keeper.
phacopian
Geneva, Switzerland
2/10/2008
Fast, easy, and delicious!
Anonymous
Copley, Oh
1/20/2008
