Stuffed Pears with Crème Anglaise

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons of blanched almonds
• 6 whole Amaretti cookies
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon Kirsch syrup
• 3 whole Comice pears (ripe, cored and halved)
• 2 cups dry web wine (a Zinfandel works well)

Instructions

1. Make the crème anglaise.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Spread almonds on a small baking sheet and bake until fragrant, but not browned. Usually about 5 or 6 minutes.
4. Remove them from the oven and set aside to cool.
5. Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Using a rolling pin, crush the cookies between 2 sheets of parchment paper and set aside.
7. Chop the almonds and set aside.
8. Using a mixer, beat the butter until it's light and fluffy. About 30 seconds.
9. Add 1 tablespoon of the sugar while continuing to beat. Then add the egg yolk and beat until the mixture is an even pale yellow. About one minute.
10. Add the cookies, almonds and Kirsch syrup and continue to beat for about another minute.
11. Stuff each pear half equally with the almond cookie butter, and transfer the pears into a buttered baking dish. Set aside.
12. Put 4 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of water into a small saucepans and boil over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
13. Add wine to the saucepan, and stir until well mixed, and then pour the syrup around the pears.
14. Bake the pears until soft and easily pierced with a paring knife. About 30 minutes.
15. Transfer the pears to a large plate and cover loosely with foil to trap the heat and keep them warm.
16. Strain the wine from the baking dish through a fine mesh strainer into a medium saucepan.
17. Add the remaining sugar to the saucepan and heat to boil over medium-high heat until the syrup is thick and glossy.
18. To serve, divide the crème anglaise evenly among 6 bowls, put a stuffed pear half in each bowl and spoon some of the wine sauce over each pear half.