Carmelized Pears with Spiced Zabaglione
This light but satisfying dessert can be whipped up fairly easily but is delicious and comforting.
Ingredients
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 2 star anise pods
- 1/2 cup sweet marsala wine
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 lemon zest strips
- 6 Bosc Pears, halved with stems intact
- 3/4 cup sweet Marsala wine
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together the cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the Marsala, honey, butter, lemon zest and half of the mixed spices and heat just until the butter melts. Remove from the heat. Add the star anise pods and let sit. Reserve the remaining spices for the zagbaglione.
- Place the pears, hollow side down, in a baking dish pour the Marsala mixture over them. Bake them, basting occasionally with the liquid and turning them over halfway through cooking, until easily pierced with a knife. This is important: they must be like butter. You really don't want them to be the slightest bit crunchy. Let stand until cool, about 30 minutes.
- About fifteen minutes before serving, bring a saucepan half full of water to a gentle simmer. Using a whisk, beat together the egg yolks, sugar and water in a large heatproof bowl. Whisk constantly until the mixture is thick, frothy, and begins to hold soft peaks and no liquid remains at the bottom of the bowl, about 10 minutes. Do not be tempted to walk away at this time. You must continuously stir or you will end up with scrambled eggs. Fold the reserved spices into the zabaglione.
- To serve, place two pear halves in each individual bowl. Spoon the zabaglione onto the pears. Serve immediately.