Roasted Pears with Olive Oil, Vanilla & Tonka Mascarpone, Honey and Roasted Walnuts

A simple autumn dessert where the pears do most of the work. Roasting them with olive oil intensifies their sweetness and gives them those lovely burnished edges, balanced by Vanilla & Tonka mascarpone, toasted walnuts and a generous trickle of honey.

Simple ingredients with little adornment, let them shine for themselves, all they need is a nudge in the right direction.

winter desserts, easy recipes, roast pears, healthy desserts, healthy recipes, holiday recipes, easy meals

Yield: 4

Author: Suze Morrison

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Roasted Pears with Olive Oil, Vanilla & Tonka Mascarpone, Honey and Roasted Walnuts

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 40 HourTotal time: 40 H & 20 M

A simple autumn dessert where the pears do most of the work. Roasting them with olive oil intensifies their sweetness and gives them those lovely burnished edges, balanced by Vanilla & Tonka mascarpone, toasted walnuts and a generous trickle of honey.

Ingredients

For the Roast Pears

• 4 ripe but firm pears
• 2 tbsp good extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp runny honey
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• Pinch of flaky sea salt

For the Vanilla Tonka Mascarpone

• 250g mascarpone
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 1–2 tbsp runny honey, to taste
• A few gratings of Tonka Bean
• To finish
• 60g walnut halves
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2–3 tbsp runny honey
• Flaky sea salt
• Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 190°C fan
2. Halve the pears lengthways and scoop out the cores with a teaspoon or melon baller. Arrange cut-side up in a roasting dish.
3. Whisk together the olive oil, honey and vanilla, then spoon over the pears, making sure some settles into the hollow centres. Sprinkle with a tiny pinch of sea salt.
4. Roast for 25–35 minutes, depending on ripeness, basting once or twice with the juices from the dish. They’re ready when tender all the way through and burnished and sticky around the edges.
5. Meanwhile, toss the walnuts with the teaspoon of olive oil and roast for 6–8 minutes until fragrant and golden. Roughly crush once cool.
6. For the mascarpone, gently stir together the mascarpone, vanilla and honey. Finely grate in just a whisper of tonka bean and taste before adding any more.
7. Spoon the cool mascarpone into the hollows of the roasted pears. Scatter generously with the roasted walnuts, drizzle with honey and finish with a little extra virgin olive oil and a few flakes of sea salt.
8. Use a fruity, slightly peppery olive oil for the final drizzle rather than just for roasting. That savoury edge against the honey, pear and creamy tonka mascarpone makes the whole dessert feel much more rounded.

https://gourmetglow.co.uk/recipes/roast-pear-vanilla-tonka

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