Pears and pumpkin. Combining these two sweet autumn fruits results in a surprisingly outstanding dessert. Here's the recipe — serve warm and with a scoop of ice cream.
Baked pears stuffed with pumpkin
Wash the pears and then cut them in half, removing the core and seeds. We suggest Abbott pears, if available.
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Arrange the pears on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, the cut part facing up. Brush them with fresh-squeezed orange juice and brown sugar mixed with cinnamon, and bake for 15 minutes.
Separately, sauté small cubes of pumpkin with a knob of butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and, once again, a splash of freshly squeezed orange juice and grated rind. Cook until the pumpkin is soft and caramelized.
Once the pears are ready, cover them with the diced pumpkin, then sprinkle with cinnamon, brown sugar, and pistachio nuts. Place in the oven for 5 minutes, then serve hot with a few drops of maple syrup or honey and alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Variation #1: With apples
You can replace the pears with large Golden apples and add raisins and dried fruits such as walnuts and almond flakes. Remember to keep the peel from the apples or pears.
Variation #2: Baked fruit
Try baking autumn fruits in the oven as you would vegetables. Season them with sugar, spices, honey, and coconut butter instead of oil and salt. You can also add herbs that go well with desserts such as mint, thyme, and rosemary.
Preheat the oven to 400° F.
Cut pears, apples, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, persimmons, oranges, and even fennel into large pieces that all more or less the same size. Place everything in a baking tray with a sprinkling of sugar, 1 Tbsp. coconut oil, and plenty of cinnamon.
Place in the oven for 20 minutes and serve warm.
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