Spiced baked pears with mascarpone & walnuts

Serves - 4

Feel the magic of the festive season with these spiced baked pears. Using only the natural sweetness of the fruit this is the perfect way to eat carbs - consuming the whole fruit, including the peel and cooking for maximum nutrient absorption.

Pears are in season in Autumn and Winter and are an excellent source of fibre, potassium, and vitamins C and K. Plums add a lovely sweetness to this dish and are a good source of fibre and vitamin C.

Mascarpone with rum make this dish quite decadent and great for special occasions!

Nutrition per serving

Fat: 14 g

Carbs: 42 g / Fiber: 9 g (Net Carbs: 33 g)

Protein: 4 g

Ingredients

• 4 pears

• 4 plums

• 1 t cinnamon

• 2 star anise

• 400 ml chai tea

• 200 g mascarpone or greek yoghurt

• 25 ml Rum (optional)

• 50 g toasted walnut pieces

• dusting of cinnamon

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Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC / 350 F.

2. Wash and cut pears in half leaving the stalk in.

3. Use a spoon or melon baller to remove seeds.

4. Brew chai tea for a few minutes and remove tea bag.

5. Cut plums in half, remove stones and then cut into quarters.

6. Add to a saucepan with chai tea and star anise and simmer for 15 mins.

7. Mash plums with fork or potato masher and pour the mixture into an oven proof dish.

8. Top mixture with pear halves and dust with cinnamon.

9. Bake for 30 - 45 minutes - till pears are cooked.

10. Mix mascarpone with rum if using.

11. Remove dish from the oven and divide pears and plum mixture between serving bowls.

12. Add mascarpone or greek yoghurt, toasted walnuts and dusting of cinnamon.