Baked Pears

Directions

1. 1
   Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 X 13 baking dish with 1 teaspoon of butter.Peel the pears, halve and core. Leave the stems on - they make for a pretty presentation.In a small bowl, whisk together the butter, vanilla and cinnamon.
2. 2
   Brush the pears with the butter mixture on both sides.Arrange the pears in the prepared baking dish, cut side down.
3. 3
   Bake the pears 30 minutes on each side, or until fork-tender, basting them every 15 minutes with the pan juices.When the pears are ready, use an electric hand mixer to quickly whip the cream (should take 2 minutes).
4. 4
   Brush the pears one last time with the pan juices and serve warm with a dollop of whipped cream. There's no need to sweeten the cream or the pears, by the way - the richness of the cream combines with the natural sweetness of the pears into an exquisite experience, no added sugar needed.