Name: Miso butter baked pears
Ingredients: 3 firm pears; 80g dark brown soft sugar; 45g butter, cubed (vegan or dairy); 2 tsp white miso; 1 cinnamon stick; 3 star anise; ½ tsp caraway seeds; 2 lemons: 2 strips of shaved zest, plus 2 teaspoons juice; 2 tbsp tahini; ¼ tsp flaked sea salt

Baking Winter

Serves 4

Prep 10 min

Cook 1 hr

Though tasting pretty decadent, these pears are surprisingly easy to make. The miso, butter and spices meld together in the oven to create a delicious sauce for the pears - a perfect topping for pancakes (vegan or other), porridge or French toast.

Ingredients

3	firm pears
80g	dark brown soft sugar
45g	butter, cubed (vegan or dairy)
2 tsp	white miso
1	cinnamon stick
3	star anise
½ tsp	caraway seeds
2	lemons: 2 strips of shaved zest, plus 2 teaspoons juice
2 tbsp	tahini
¼ tsp	flaked sea salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 210C fan.
Peel the pears, then cut into 6 wedges and remove the core. Place in a medium baking dish, then sprinkle over the sugar and dot the butter and miso around them (this doesn't have to be too precise as it will melt together in the oven). Add the cinnamon stick, star anise, caraway and lemon zest. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the foil, stir and baste the pears with the miso butter and return to the oven, uncovered, for another 25-35 minutes, until the pears have softened and are starting to caramelise around the edges. The miso butter should be a syrupy consistency.
Stir through the lemon juice and finish with a drizzle of tahini and a sprinkle of salt.