PEARS MELBA (serves 4)
3 cups water
3" cinnamon stick
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 TBL fresh lemon juice, reserving 1/2 tsp
One 1x3" piece of lemon zest
4 large pears, stems intact, peeled, halved & cored
1 TBL cornstarch
10 oz frozen raspberries, thawed, drained, reserve juice
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
2 tsp sugar
Mint leaves

In large skillet combine water, cinnamon stick, vanilla, 1 TBL lemon juice & zest. Bring water to high simmer; add pears & poach, covered, 10 minutes. (Can be prepared up to this point, covered & chilled overnight.) Add cornstarch to reserved raspberry juice; heat until slightly thickenened. Add berries: cool.
Puree cottage cheese, reserved lemon juice & sugar until smooth & creamy. Matching halves, fill each pear half with 2 TBL cheese mixture; stand upright on plate & press halves together. Level bottom, if necessary by cutting off thin slice. Spoon 2 TBL rasberry sauce over each pear. Place mint leaf at each stem. May chill several hours.~~Sounds Delicious

FRESH AUTUMN PEAR BREAD (1 loaf)
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 cup buttermilk or yogurt
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh ripe pears, skin left on

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a 9" loaf pan.
In a large bowl, using a mixer, cream the butter & sugar together until light & fluffy. Add the eggs & vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda & nutmeg. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with the buttermilk, mixing gently but thoroughly. Gently stir in the pears. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan. Bake 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.~~More than a Tea Party

PEAR CRISP (serves 6)
6 ripe pears, peeled, cored & sliced
1 TBL lemon juice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup brown sugar

Place pears in a greased 2 qt baking dish. Toss pears w/lemon juice, cinnamon & nutmeg. In a bowl, combine flour & butter until mixture resembles crumbs. Add oats & brown sugar. Stir well; sprinkle over pears. Bake in a preheated 375° oven for 20-25 minutes or until browned & pears are tender. Serve w/ice cream or whipped cream.~~Food for Thought

ginger_st_thomas - Thanks. The pear crisp and bread recipes sound really good. I'll give the pears melba a try when I am feeling more adventurous.
Clare

Hope you like them!

Here's one we really like and I'm sure the Bartlett pears would work just fine:
Baked Pears
2 Anjou pears
butter
2T sugar
4T cream
Peel each pear, halve, and remove core.
Generously butter a baking dish just large
enough to hold the pears (I use individual dishes)
Sprinkle dish with half of the sugar. Place pears cut
side down.
Sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake at 375° for about 20 minutes
and remove from oven. Pour cream evenly over pears. Return to
oven and bake 15 minutes more. Serve hot or warm.
Serves 2.

roselin32 - Thanks, that sure looks easy and sounds good too.
Clare

It really is easy and I made this for a friend, not knowing he didn't like pears and he loved it. Hope you do also.