Roasted pears with rum syrup

Pears are plentiful now, and this is a quick and easy way to turn them into a delicious dessert.
This recipe uses dark rum which gives a smoky-sweet flavour, however it also works well with port, orange liqueur, and brandy. You can substitute maple syrup for honey.

Ingredients

4 medium-sized pears
75ml dark rum
2 whole cinnamon sticks
1 1/2 Tsp fresh ginger, grated
2/3 cup raw honey
3 Tbsp water
1 1/2 Tsp vanilla extract
4 Tbsp melted butter

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 deg C.
2. Cut pears in half, and use a teaspoon to scoop out the core.
3. In a small sauce pot on medium heat, add rum, cinnamon sticks, ginger, and simmer on medium for 1 minute.
4. Reduce the heat to low, and whisk in honey, water and vanilla until thick.
5. Place pears in a baking dish and drizzle half of the rum honey sauce and butter over them.
6. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until pears are tender.
7. When the pears are finished, drizzle the rest of the rum honey sauce on top.
8. Serve warm with whipped cream, ice-cream or yoghurt, and top with chopped walnuts or pecan.