– This ricotta stuffed pear dessert recipe is delicious AND healthy! –
The end of stone fruit season is heartbreaking. All winter long I patiently wait for my first bite of peach, and then just a few short months later, THEY’RE GONE. The whole thing is almost unbearable. <cue the world’s tiniest violin>
It reminds me of a fleeting romance, where the first few weeks of the relationship are perfectly delicious, and then your would-be Mr. Right skips the country.
Only one thing could lessen the blow of such a tragic loss: a replacement. In this case, it’s the beginning of Asian pear season.
Late August/early September in California signal an influx of Asian pears (also know as apple pears to some folks). These sophisticated little beauties are more than willing to step up and fill the gap left by their cheeky predecessors. Don’t let them fool you, though. While Asian pears may seem innocent enough on the outside, inside they’re dripping with a juicy sensuality that rivals even your most luscious nectarine. They may start off as a replacement for your missing mate stone fruit, but they quickly take center stage and captivate you all on their own.
Best. Rebound. Ever.
I created this recipe looking for a light and semi-healthy dessert that involved no refined sugar. Pear desserts are right at the top of my list this time of year. The first bite of this dessert was dreamy, and every bite thereafter was kind of a blur. It was so good that I ended up eating the rest of the ricotta filling with a spoon. Because, ricotta.
For this recipe I chose honey over agave since it pairs well with cinnamon, though if you really wanted to you could easily use 1 teaspoon of agave or even 1/2 teaspoon of white sugar if you don’t like honey. Either way, don’t make your filling too sweet. The goal is to elevate the pears so that they sing, so don’t make them compete with your filling.
Buon appetito!
- 4 whole Asian pears, ripe
- 1 cup ricotta cheese, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- Cinnamon, for dusting
Slice pears in half. Using a spoon or melon baller, remove the seeds and scoop a divot out of the center of each pear half, making it large enough to hold at least 1 tablespoon of filling.
- In a small bowl, mix ricotta and honey until they are completely combined. Stir in cinnamon and ginger.
Fill the center of each pear half with ricotta filling. Don’t be afraid to heap it on. This is good stuff, and it's not bad for you! Sprinkle each pear half with a light dusting of cinnamon.
Eat immediately. If covered, they will keep a couple of hours. (Though don’t prepare them too far ahead of time or the pears will brown.)
This content was originally posted on FearlessFresh.com.
These look wonderful. I’m going to serve this tonight for my dinner guests since it looks like it will only take a few minutes to prepare. Thanks.
Thanks! Let me know how it goes – I always like feedback.
These look like what we call Fuji pears down here in NZ. Lovely crisp.
Fujis? Hrmm. Here we have Fuji apples but no Fuji pears. Do you have different kinds of Fuji pears there? Here we have a selection of five or six Asian pears. These in the photo happen to be shinseikis:
Delicious!
Argh, Nashi Pears, not Fujis. I shouldn’t comment on blogs first thing in the morning before my brain turns on and yet I always do.
Your early is my late (and day prior) ;)
I am so jealous of your having that farmers market in Berkeley! We have one fancy fruit store and it will close this weekend. I hope I can find Asian pears in the slightly larger town where we shop in the off-season. You surprised me with the actual recipe because I thought they would be baked, but no. Now, if the chilled pears are as great as the way you describe them …. Yum! Can’t wait to try.
Oh no! I guess that would be a difficulty for me if I lived on the east coast. I try to enjoy fruit raw whenever I can… though one of my Twitter friends recommended warming them slightly, which I think would be great on a cold night:
I’ve never actually tried an Asian pear, but your description and the recipe looks so tasty, I’m going to keep an eye out at the farmers’ market.
Oooh, they’re so good. They have a similar texture to apples, only with the pear’s lovely sweetness. Definitely a prize.
Oh, these look great! We love Asian pears and I am so glad they’re in season now. Will have to try this.
Please report back and let me know what you think! I’m always looking for feedback. :)
My Boyfriend and I broil the pears with honey on top for ten min tjen add the ricotta and cinnamon mixture on top and east warm there so so
Good