Roasted Pears in Almond Crumbs with Cinnamon-Brandy Caramel Sauce

Name: Roasted Pears in Almond Crumbs with Cinnamon-Brandy Caramel Sauce
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 4 large pears (Comice, Conference or Packham); 4 large pears (Comice, Conference or Packham); 4 large pears (Comice, Conference or Packham); 60 g/2 oz/½ cup finely chopped almonds; 25 g/1 oz/¼ cup finely chopped pistachio nuts; 2 tbsp brown (light muscovado) sugar; butter, for greasing; vanilla ice cream, to serve; 1.2 l/40 fl oz/5 cups water; 500 g/1 lb 2 oz/2½ cups caster (superfine) sugar; juice of 3 lemons; 400 ml/14 fl oz/1⅔ cups poaching liquid from the pears; 400 ml/14 fl oz/1⅔ cups poaching liquid from the pears; 1 cinnamon stick; 100 ml/3½ fl oz/scant ½ cup brandy; 200 ml/7 fl oz/scant 1 cup double (heavy) cream

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
45 min

Appears in

The Sun-Soaked Plate

By Marc Fosh

Published 2026

About

Ingredients

4 large pears (Comice, Conference or Packham)
60 g/2 oz/

Europe
Spain
Starter
Vegetarian
Mediterranean

Method

Carefully peel the pears, removing the skin but leaving the stalk on. Using a melon-baller, scoop out and remove the core from each pear, forming a small cavity.

In a stainless-steel saucepan, bring all the ingredients for the poaching liquid to the boil, add the pears and gently poach for 6–8 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

To make the sauce, strain off 400