# Baked Pears with Caramel Sauce

## Ingredients:

- 2 tablespoons butter
- 5 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 ½ cups apple juice
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 6 tablespoons softened cream cheese
- 1/3 cup walnut or pecan pieces
- 2 tablespoons currants
- 2 pears

## Caramel Sauce:

- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon water
- ½ cup whipping cream
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 ounces butter

## Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In small saucepan combine butter, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, apple juice and 2 tablespoons maple syrup. Heat.
3. In a small bowl combine remaining brown sugar (3 tablespoons), cream cheese, nuts, remaining maple syrup, 1 tablespoon, and currants, optional. Mix well.
4. Peel pears. Cut in half and remove core. Fill core with cream cheese mixture. Spoon or brush small amount of apple juice syrup mixture over pears. Bake for 30-40 minutes until soft, basting with syrup occasionally. Reserve extra syrup for future use. Or this syrup can be served with fruit and the caramel sauce omitted.
5. Caramel Sauce: Combine sugar & water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly about 3 minutes. Add cream & vanilla & cook over medium heat, stirring frequently about 5 minutes. Remove from heat & add butter, stirring constantly.
6. Sauce may be made in larger quantities and stored in cooler. Reheat as needed.