Honey-Roasted Pears

Here it is: the perfect summer-to-fall transitional dessert for those crisp-cool nights when you aren’t quite ready to say farewell to the balmy weather, while simultaneously itching for the coziness of fall. Lusciously glazed with honey, these roasted pears showcase elegant flecks of vanilla bean and are finished with colorful lemon zest and a dusting of fresh thyme. They can be served on their own for a light bite to satisfy a sweet tooth, or—our favorite—as a complete dessert, with a scoop of cool dairy, like vanilla ice cream or sweetened Greek yogurt, and a smattering of granola sprinkled over top.

The pears:
Thanks to a brushing of homemade honey butter, the pears’ cut surface becomes lightly roasted with the help of the broiler, while their insides become soft and tender. Bosc pears are our favorite for this dish because of their firm flesh and toffee-colored skin, which darkens to a deep caramel tone in the oven. Don’t bother peeling them first, as the skin softens during the roasting process, giving the pears more flavor and helping keep their shape without adding any toughness. When roasting, keep in mind that the riper your pears, the less time they will need to become tender.

The equipment:
Some tips as you proceed through this recipe: Try spraying your 1/4-cup measuring cup with nonstick cooking spray before measuring out the honey; the honey will slide right into the pot without leaving a trace on the sides of the cup. We love using a melon baller to scoop out the pears’ seeds and fibrous centers, creating a gracefully concave reservoir for the honey butter and pear juices to collect and then ooze onto the plate when you make your first cut.

The vanilla:
Finally, don’t throw away your spent vanilla beans; rather, try submerging them in vodka in a sealed container, and you’ll have homemade vanilla extract in a few months. If you don’t have a vanilla bean on hand, 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract will work just fine in its place.

Did you try making these? Let us know how it went in the comments!