Maple Granola Bartlett Pears
Adapted from California Pears at http://www.calpear.com
From the Strive for Five at School! Resources
Preheat oven to 350ºF
Yield: 8
1 – 9” x 13” baking pan
Portion: 1 pear half
Cost per serving: $0.92
Ingredients
4 large firm-fleshed fresh pears
2 tbsp (30 mL) non-hydrogenated margarine
1 cup (250 mL) granola
1/4 cup (50 mL) maple syrup
8 cranberries, fresh or frozen (for garnish)
1 Wash the pears well. Cut each pear in half lengthwise. Remove the core and make a hollow large enough to fit 2 tbsp (30 mL) of granola.
2 Grease the pan with 1 tsp (5 mL) of the margarine.
3 Fill each pear hollow with about 2 tbsp (30 mL) of granola; press it gently into the pear flesh. Place the pear halves in the pan, flesh-side-up.
4 Heat the maple syrup with the remaining margarine. Spoon the mixture over the pears in the pan.
5 Bake for 30–45 minutes, until the flesh is soft. The cooking time will depend on the ripeness of the pears.
6 Remove the pear halves from the pan with a slotted spoon and serve them on a small plate; garnish with a fresh or frozen cranberry.
Tip: Generally, pears are picked before they are ripe. To facilitate ripening, pears should be kept at room temperature. Once a pear is ripe, it may be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week. Baked pear recipes work best with pears that are not fully ripe, as the cooking process softens the fruit.
This high-fibre recipe combines the flavour of fresh Nova Scotia pears with crunchy granola. Select firm fresh pears; Nova Scotia Bartlett and Clapp pears both work well with this recipe. The Bartlett variety is locally available from September to late December, while the Clapp variety is available from August to November. Crunchy Nova Scotia Honey Granola (see April recipes) is a main ingredient in this recipe.
