Baked pears in maple syrup

Sweet and juicy pears with sticky maple syrup make the perfect romantic dessert for two

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 3 minutes
Calories per portion: 364 Kcal
Fat per portion: 13g, of which saturated 1.2g
Serves: 2
Suitable for vegetarians

What you need:

• Pears 2
• Dried cranberries or cherries 2 tbsp
• Maple syrup 2 tbsp
• Ground cinnamon a pinch, optional
• Pecan nuts 6 halves, roughly broken
• Natural yogurt or crème fraîche to serve

What you do:

1. Peel and halve the pears. Keep the stalks on if you like. Scoop out the cores with a melon baller or teaspoon. Put the pear halves, cut-side down, in a shallow dish. Sprinkle with the dried fruit and pour over 1 tablespoon of the maple syrup. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon, if using.
2. Cover the dish with a microwave lid or cling film and cook on high power for 3 minutes, checking and stirring the dried fruit after 2 minutes. To bake in the oven, preheat it to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4, cover the dish with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes.
3. Serve the pears with a little more maple syrup drizzled over and sprinkled with the broken nuts. Add a generous spoonful of thick yogurt or crème fraîche and accompany with a few biscuits, if you like.

Handy cook's tip:

If you halve the recipe, just cook for 11/2 -2 minutes in the microwave.

Handy shopper's tip:

Dried cranberries or cherries can be bought in small packs and keep well for adding colour, flavour and natural goodness to your cereal, cakes and puds.

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