These subtly spiced pears have an attractive crinkly look and are a lovely finish for an autumn meal. They keep nicely in the refrigerator for 4 or 5 days.

　　

Ingredients

serves 8

　　8 ripe pears

　　Zest and juice of 1 lemon

　　Zest and juice of 1 orange

　　1 cup Riesling or other sweet white wine

　　6 peppercorns

　　1 cinnamon stick

　　1/2 cup sugar

　　6 whole cloves (optional)

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375°. Place the pears in a baking dish that will comfortably hold them in an upright position.

　　

Step 2

Place the rest of the ingredients in a saucepan on medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil. To reduce the liquid a bit, cook on high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t boil over. Pour the spiced wine over the pears and bake until the pears can be pierced easily with a sharp knife, 30 to 40 minutes. Baste once or twice, using tongs to lift a pear if necessary to get to the basting liquid.

　　

Step 3

Serve at room temperature with the wine sauce drizzled over the pears.

　　From Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers: Fresh Ideas for the Weeknight Table. Copyright © 2017 by Moosewood Collective. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC. Buy the full book from ThriftBooks or Amazon.