A Bourbon Recipe Review: Baked Pears Smothered in Bourbon

It’s pear harvesting season in the Bluegrass. What better way to celebrate the season than an Ooey Gooey baked pear smothered in bourbon?

Pears are the forgotten fruit for bourbon, but they pair well together. The mellow flavor of the pear allows the ingredients to shine through. Throw a little vanilla ice cream on top, and you have heaven in the Commonwealth.

• 1 lb of Fresh Pears
• 1.5 tbsp. of Lemon Juice
• 4 tbsp. of Unsalted Butter
• 4 tbsp. of Dark Brown Sugar
• 1 tsp. of Vanilla Extract
• 0.5 tsp. of Cinnamon
• 1 Cup of Kentucky Bourbon
• A Pinch of Salt

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Butter 9X13 baking dish.
3. Peel and half pears lengthwise.
4. Scoop out the core and any seeds from the pear using a spoon or melon baller and arrange them in the dish. Set aside.
5. In a saucepan, melt butter, then add brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. Stir until melted using low to medium heat. The mixture will be done when it is the consistency of maple syrup.
6. Pour the Kentucky Bourbon into the saucepan and cook until incorporated, maybe 1-3 minutes.
7. Spoon the mixture over the pears, concentrating it into the center where the cores were removed.
8. Bake, uncovered for 45 minutes or until the pears are soft. Use a toothpick to test.
9. Once completed, cool for about 10 minutes and then serve with ice cream, or you could even use caramel syrup. Either way, you cannot go wrong.