Pears California with Cointreau-Flavored Almond Filling

This dessert derives its name from its combination of pears, apricots, and almonds, each of which plays a large part in California’s agricultural industry. The majority of the state’s pear crop is made up of Bartlett or Bartlett-style fruit, such as Comice or Anjou, but I prefer to use the Bosc variety here. They stand tall and majestic, and the long, thin Bosc stems seem to stay on better than the stems from some of the other types.

For this presentation, try to find nicely shaped,