Baked Stuffed Pears

Looking for a healthy, sweet treat?

Look no further.  This dish blends the natural sweetness of fruit with a little twist of nuts.  The first time I tried this, the flavors melted in my mouth – YUM!

Ingredients

• 4 ripe pears (not Asian)
• 1/3 c finely chopped dried apricots
• ¼ c orange juice
• 1/3 c pine nuts
• ¼ c orange juice
• Ghee
• Honey

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a baking dish.
2. Halves the pears lengthwise.  Remove the stem and the seeds, leaving a small hollow in each half.
3. Puree the apricot pieces and orange juice in a blender until smooth.  Mix in the pine nuts.  Place a spoonful in the hollow in each pear.
4. Place the pear halves in a baking dish and pour the second amount of orange juice over them.  Dot liberally with ghee.   Cover and bake until tender, about 1 hour.  Let cool to lukewarm.  Drizzle with a little honey before serving.

*other nuts and dried fruits can be used for the stuffing but these marry particularly well with the pear flavors.  If using tough, unsulphured dried apricots, simmer for 5 minutes in orange juice before blending.