caramelized maple pears

• 3 semi-firm pears - eg. Williams
• 125 ml (½ cup) maple syrup
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) salted butter
• 1 vanilla pod, its content
• 3 star anise
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) lemon juice
  
  

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C with a grill in the middle of the oven.
2. Cut the pears in 2 and remove its heart.
3. Pour the maple syrup in a pan that goes in the oven. Reduce the syrup on high heat for about 1 minute.
4. Place the pears in the syrup facing down. Add the butter, the vanilla and the star anises. Cook in the oven for 10 minutes.
5. Take the pears out of the oven and spread the maple syrup on the pears. Cook in the oven for another 10 minutes.
6. Take the pears out of the oven for a 2nd time and turn them delicately. Spray the pears with the maple syrup once again. Put back in the oven for another 15 minutes.
7. Take the pears out of the oven (last time !) and add the lemon juice.
8. Serve the pears with a zucchini cake, on pancakes or on ice cream.

a recipe from Patrice Demers