Slow-Roasted Pears With Hazelnuts, Honey & Mascarpone

I found this recipe in the "Weekend with Nino Zoccali" section of the October 2008 issue of 'Australian Good Food' where it is recommended as the ideal finale to an Italian feast and "also quite healthy as the pears are high in fibre and hazelnuts are good for you too - a drizzle of natural honey to finish and la vita e bella".

• Ready In: 1 hr 45 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1  large  lemon, juice of
• 100  g caster sugar
• 4  firm beurre bosc pears
• 1  vanilla bean, halved
• 45  g butter, at room temperature
• 2  tablespoons brown sugar
• 1⁄4 cup honey
• 1⁄4 cup hazelnuts, halved, roasted
• 1⁄3 cup mascarpone

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 190°C or 170°C fan.
2. Mix lemon juice and caster sugar into one litre of water and stir to dissolve the sugar; halve and core the pears and place in the water.
3. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean; reserve the bean and place the seeds in a small bowl with the butter and brown sugar; mix well until soft and spreadable.
4. Remove the pears from the water and spread the butter mixture over the cut sides; pour 700 ml of the water into a deep baking pan, place the pears into the pan, cut-side up; place the vanilla bean halves in the water and cover the pan with foil; pierce the foil in four places.
5. Bake the pears for 11/2 hours until they are tender.
6. Place the pears in shallow bowls and spoon over a little of the cooking syrup; drizzle with honey and scatter with hazelnuts; and serve warm or at room temperature with mascarpone.
7. TIP: Check the water level in the baking pan from time to time during the cooking time, and add a little more water if too much has evaporated.