Encased in a spiral of pastry, baked pears take on a new elegance. Offer with half-and-half or light cream alongside to pour over each serving.
Coring Pears
Slice off a little of the neck of each pear to make a flat surface. Insert a corer about three fourths of the way into the pear and twist, then remove and discard the core.
Filling Pears
You will need to use a very small spoon to fill the pears, as the opening is narrow. A baby spoon or iced-tea spoon is a good size if you have one. Spoon the filling into each pear just to the top. Don’t overfill or the dumplings will take too long to bake through.