Baked Pears with Cinnamon

A nice dessert with or without ice cream.

5 ripe, firm anjou Pears
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. dark brown sugar (packed firmly)
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/3 c. raisins
1/3 c. water

Preheat oven to 350F. Core pears with apple corer, being careful to only remove core and stems. Trim bottoms so they will stand upright. Arrange in a baking dish. In bowl, combine sugars and cinnamon. Stir in raisins. Fill pears with half of the sugar mixture. In the other half of the sugar mixture, stir in the 1/3 c. water and pour around the pears.

Bake pears, uncovered, until tender and the sauce is like syrup. If syrup becomes too think, stir in a bit more water. Baste pears occassionally. Bake about 50 mins.

Serves 5.

Enjoy,
Myrna

Lemon Curd (Lemon Pudding)

I always loved lemon curd, and with this recipe you can make it as sweet or sour as you like.

Use lemon curd to fill tartlets, phyllo baskets, or use like a jam & spread on toast or scones. Tastes pretty good with strawberries too.

1 c. sugar
3 large eggs (yolk & whites)
1 egg yolk (extra)
1/2 c. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
6 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp. grated lemon peel

Whisk all ingredients in a heavy sauce pan over very low heat until butter melts. Cook until mixture thickens to consistancy of lightly whipped cream, whisking constantly, about 5 mins. Pour into a bowl. Cover & refrigerate until cold, about 4hours.

Enjoy,
Myrna

Feta with Rosemary Pepper & Honey

This is a sophisticated savory dessert, absolutely delicious and easy to make.

1/2 c. honey
1/4 c. water
2 tsp. chopped, fresh rosemary leaves
1 tsp. coarse black peppercorns
1 lb. feta chees, rinsed and patted dry

In a small saucepan, combine honey, water, rosemary, and peppercorns. Simmer, swirling pan occasionally until liquid is reduced to about 1/2 cup. Cool honey mixture to room temperature.

Cut feta into thin slices & serve drizzled with honey.

Serves 8 as a dessert.

Enjoy,
Myrna