Fire-Kissed Pears with Spiced Vanilla–Cherry Sauce

Name: Fire-Kissed Pears with Spiced Vanilla–Cherry Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: International
Ingredients: 0.25 tsp Black Pepper; 0.5 cup Brandy; 0.5 cup Brown Sugar; 10 oz Cherries; 2 tsp Cornstarch; 0.25 tsp Ground Allspice; 0.75 tsp Ground Ginger; 4 whole Pear Halves; 0.13 tsp Salt; 1 whole Vanilla Bean; 1 tbsp Water

Dessert 🍰Snack 🍿 Low-Sodium Gluten-Free Vegetarian 🥦Vegan 🌱Plant-Based 🌻Kosher ✡️Pescatarian 🐟

Fire-Kissed Pears with Spiced Vanilla–Cherry Sauce pairs tender, lightly charred pears with a velvety cherry reduction scented with vanilla, ginger, and warm spices. The balance of caramelized fruit and smoky sweetness makes it an elegant dessert for fall dinners or a special-occasion finish to a cozy meal.

Prep15 mins
Cook30 mins
Serves8
DifficultyMedium

1

Place the vanilla bean on a foil-lined baking sheet set over a wire rack. Using a kitchen torch, toast the vanilla bean, turning now and then, until lightly charred and beginning to smoke, about 30 seconds. Let cool for 5 minutes, then split the vanilla bean lengthwise.
2

Combine the split vanilla bean and brandy in a medium saucepan. Carefully bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the brandy is reduced to 2 tablespoons, 7 to 8 minutes. Meanwhile, blend the cherries in a blender or food processor until smooth.
3

Mix the brown sugar, ginger, allspice, and pepper in a shallow bowl. For the sauce, add 3 tablespoons of the brown sugar mixture, the puréed cherries, and the salt to the brandy mixture in the saucepan. Bring back to a boil; reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes.
4

Remove the vanilla bean from the sauce and scrape out the seeds. Stir the seeds into the sauce, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Return the sauce to the saucepan.
5

Whisk the water and cornstarch together. Add this to the sauce. Bring to a boil over medium heat; reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
6

Dip the cut sides of the pears into the remaining brown sugar mixture to coat evenly. Arrange the pears, cut sides up, on the prepared baking sheet. Caramelize the brown sugar surface of the pears with a kitchen torch, about 5 minutes for the entire recipe. Serve the pears with the sauce. (Chill the sauce in an airtight container for up to 5 days.)