Pears Baked in Apple Juice with a Crunchy Oat Topping

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the pears

   Preheat the oven to 190 °C. Halve the pears and scoop out the cores with a teaspoon; leave the skins on. Arrange them cut-side down in a baking dish. Mix the apple juice and lemon juice, pour the mixture around the pears, and add the cinnamon and star anise.

   
2. 2

   Bake the fruit

   Bake the pears for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tip of a knife easily pierces them but they still hold their shape. Baste them with the juices from the bottom of the dish halfway through baking. If the pears are still firm, bake them for 5 minutes longer.

   
3. 3

   Make the crunchy topping

   While the pears bake, mix the oats, flour, pumpkin seeds, brown sugar, and salt. Add the butter, cut into small cubes, and work it in with your fingers until irregular clumps form. Spread them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. When the pears are done, bake the topping at the same temperature for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden; stir it halfway through.

   
4. 4

   Whip the vanilla cream

   Whip the chilled cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Do not overwhip it, so it stays creamy.

   
5. 5

   Serve

   Remove the cinnamon and star anise from the baked pears. Divide the pears among plates, drizzle with a little of the juice from the dish, and sprinkle with the warm oat topping. Add the vanilla whipped cream and serve immediately while the topping is crunchy.