Pears in Nightshirts (Eat Feed Autumn Winterby Anne Bramley)

Pears:

• 4 ripe baking pears, such as Barlett or Bosc, with stems intact
• 2 cups pear juice (you could use apple juice if you can’t find pear juice)
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup sugar

Meringue:

• 4 large egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 large mint leaves (optional)

To make the pears: Peel the pears, leaving stems intact. Run the peeler a few times across the bottom of each pear to remove a bit of the papery end and to create a flat bottom for the pear to sit upright. In a Dutch oven or a deep pan that can hold all the pears standing upright, combine the pear juice, water, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Stand the pears in the cooking liquid, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the pears are tender, about 20 minutes. The cooking time may be longer if you have to use unripe pears, Remove the pears from the pan with a slotted spooon, reserving the cooking liquid, and set on paper towels to soak up excess moisture. Cool for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a glass or ceramic baking dish large enough to hold all the pears standing upright. Bring the reserved poaching liquid to a boil and boil until thick and syrupy, about 20 minutes.

While the sauce boils, prepare the meringue: In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until medium-stiff peaks form. With the motor running, slowly add the sugar, scraping down the sides when you’ve finished adding the final bit of sugar. Beat the meringue until stiff peaks form.

Blot the pears with paper towels to remove excess surface moisture and help the meringue to stick. Transfer the pears to a glass baking dish. Cover each pear in meringue, either by piping with a pastry bag or by frosting with a silicone spatula. You can hold each pear up by the stem while you slather on the meringue, which allows you to cover the bottom as well. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the meringue is set and just beginning to turn brown.

To serve, drizzle the pear syrup around the surface of 4 dessert plates. Place 1 pear on each plate on top of the sauce. Decorate the stem of each pear with a mint leaf, if preferred.

Yield: 4 servings