POM Spicy Baked Pears

Juice from 4-6 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates to make 1 cup POM Syrup* or 2 cups POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice
1½ cups sugar
4 firm Bosc pears
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cinnamon stick, 2 inches in length
4 whole cloves
1 peppercorn
1 star anise
Orange zest peeled from 1 large orange

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Peel three 3-inch x 1/4-inch strips of orange zest.

Peel pears, halve lengthwise, and core.

Arrange pears, cut side down, in a ceramic baking dish. In a nonmetal bowl, combine POM Syrup*, lemon juice, cinnamon, cloves, orange zest, star anise and peppercorn.

Pour the mixture over the pears and place in pre-heated oven.

Bake for 35-45 minutes, basting every 15 minutes, or until pears are tender.

*To prepare POM Syrup, cut 4-6 POM Wonderful Pomegranates in half and juice using a citrus reamer or juicer to measure 2 cups, or use 2 cups of POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice. Combine juice and 1 1/2 cups of sugar in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes until reduced to 1 cup, stirring frequently.

 

--Reprinted with permission from POM Wonderful.