Create this warm and welcoming dish to celebrate the season’s best flavors and impress dinner guests. This elegant but easy-to-prepare recipe features mouthwatering fall fruit and blue cheese stuffed baked pears.
Blue Cheese Stuffed Baked Pears
- 6 Seckel pears
- 4 tsp. lemon juice (fresh)
- 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
- 14 sheets phyllo dough
- ½ cup unsalted butter (melted)
- 1 pinch sugar
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1½ tsp. granulated sugar (for baking)
For stuffing:
- 2 large black mission figs
- ¼ cup Oregon hazelnuts (toasted )
- 2 tbsp. dates (chopped )
- ½ tsp. sugar
- orange zest (Fresh )
- ¼ tsp. cinnamon (ground)
- 1/16 tsp. clove (ground)
- blue cheese (for garnish)
- figs (fresh, for garnish)
Prepare pears in batches of three for uniform cooking in the microwave.
- Peel pears and add lemon juice immediately to prevent browning.
- Next, add sugar, coat evenly, and place in a covered bowl.
- Microwave on high power for 2 minutes and leave covered for an additional 5 minutes
- .Carefully unwrap pears and chill; meanwhile, gently mix together the fall fruits.
- Once the pears have cooled, stuff them with the fall fruits and freeze upright for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375°F.Place 1 sheet of phyllo dough onto a cutting board and lightly brush with butter.
- Add another sheet on top and repeat until the stack is 7 sheets thick.
- Sprinkle with salt and sugar.
- Cut the phyllo sheet lengthways into 2½-inch strips.
- Gently roll the phyllo around the pear using additional butter as necessary.
- On a lined sheet or pan, place 6 evenly spaced, ¼ teaspoon mounds of the reserved granulated sugar.
- Place each pear onto the portioned sugar and bake for approximately 20 minutes.
- Serve warm and garnish with blue cheese and fresh figs.