Mulled Cinnamon-Orange Pears with Mascarpone

flavourandsavour.com
serves 8
Mulled Cinnamon-Orange Pears, warm from the oven and topped with a dollop of slightly sweetened mascarpone cheese, make a never-to-be-forgotten fall or winter dessert.
Ingredients

6 medium pears, a firm variety like Bosc or Anjou
2 teaspoons lemon juice
½ cup orange juice or ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
¼ cup (or more) orange liqueur (Triple Sec, Gran Marnier or Cointreau) (optional)
¼ cup brown sugar or coconut sugar, or Golden Monkfruit sweetener
3 cinnamon sticks, broken if large
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon whole cloves
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon whole allspice
4 buds star anise

Garnish

½ cup mascarpone cheese
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon orange zest finely grated

Preparation

Peel the pears and slice in half from the stem end to the base. Remove the stem and core using a small paring knife or even a melon baller. Slice the pears so they fan out, leaving ¾ inch intact at the stem end. Arrange in a single layer in a baking dish. Sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent browning.
Combine the spices, both whole and ground, and sprinkle over the pears.
In a measuring cup or small bowl, combine the orange juice, Triple Sec and brown sugar (or coconut sugar or Golden Monkfruit sweetener.)
Pour this mixture over the pears. Cover with foil (or an oven-proof lid) and bake for 30 minutes at 350°F., basting the pears with the liquid at 10-minute intervals. Check at 20 minutes and remove from the oven when they are barely fork-tender.
While the pears are poaching in the cinnamon orange sauce, prepare the mascarpone cheese topping. In a small bowl, combine mascarpone, maple syrup and orange zest. Set aside in the refrigerator.
Remove the baking dish from the oven. Gently remove the pear halves with a slotted spoon to another serving dish or to individual dessert glasses
Strain the liquid to remove the whole spices. Pour the strained liquid into a small saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat until reduced by one-third.
Pour this warm cinnamon-spiced orange sauce over the pears, dividing equally among the dessert glasses. Top with a dollop of maple mascarpone and serve!