Pearfectly Delicious

Pere al Forno con Fiocchi d'Avena , Cocco , Mirtilli Americani & Cannella

Baked Pears with Oatmeal, Coconut, Cranberries & Cinnamon

Of course it is still breakfast and not dessert! There's oatmeal in there, isn't there?!? Ha! The thing is, simple as these baked pears are, they are delicious enough to be served as a dessert- replace yogurt with ice cream and you have a sensible sin ready to be served here!

Yes, a scoop pf yogurt would be ideal with these lovely pears, but they are also delicious just the way they are, as they are so juicy inside that the balance perfectly combined with the toasted oatmeal and coconut. And with a little cinnamon and cranberry into the mix... irresistible!

They will take 40-45 minutes to bake, but being as there is next to no prep-work involved, that makes them perfect for a super-indulgent start to a sweet, calm, relaxing Sunday morning.

So, to go with my 2 pears, I needed 2 cups of oatmeal, 1 cup of coconut flakes, 1 cup of dried cranberries, 1 teaspoon of sugar and about 1 teaspoons-worth of butter. Not really all that sinful from the ingredients- but definitely from the results!

The pears themselves and the cranberries have plenty of sweetness of their own- the little bit of sugar added is mainly to help caramelize the surface slightly and to crisp up the oatmeal a little more... so... no need to feel guilty about enjoying these!

Simply mix the oatmeal, coconut, cranberries and cinnamon together thoroughly- that's all you need to do!

Lightly butter your baking dish, add 3/4 of the oatmeal mix, then add the peeled, halved and cored pears. Sprinkle with the remaining oatmeal, coconut and cranberries and add a few tiny pats of butter here and there. 

Drizzle ever-so-lightly with water, cover with foil and bake in a hot oven, at 200°C, for around 40 minutes.

After 40 minutes, remove the foil and give the moistened oatmeal and coconut a little stir, then sprinkle lightly with a little cinnamon and sugar before returning to the oven for a final 5 minutes or so, until the sugar begins to caramelize and things begin to turn golden brown.

And there they are- and you could't get any easier- or more delicious- than that!

So what if it's Winter and it's cold an miserable outside... if you have a treat like this to enjoy!

Natural products, simple preparation, excellent flavor... and who could ask for anything more?

Crispy on the outside and lovely and smooth and steamy on the inside... mmmm! Enjoy!