Baked Pears with Feta Honey (Printable)
Warm baked pears stuffed with feta, honey, cranberries, cinnamon and lemon zest; garnished with fresh mint.
# What You Need:
→ Pears
01 - 4 ripe but firm pears
→ Filling
02 - 3.5 oz feta cheese, crumbled
03 - 3 tbsp dried cranberries
04 - 2 tbsp walnuts, roughly chopped (optional)
05 - 2 tbsp honey, plus extra for drizzling
06 - 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
07 - Zest of 1 lemon
→ Garnish
08 - Fresh mint leaves
# How-To:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking dish with parchment paper.
02 - Halve the pears lengthwise and scoop out the core and seeds, creating a small cavity in each half.
03 - In a small bowl, combine feta cheese, dried cranberries, walnuts (if using), 2 tablespoons honey, ground cinnamon, and lemon zest until evenly blended.
04 - Arrange the pear halves cut side up in the prepared baking dish. Fill each cavity generously with the feta mixture.
05 - Drizzle a little extra honey over the stuffed pears.
06 - Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pears are tender and the edges are lightly caramelized.
07 - Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Garnish with fresh mint leaves before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The salty-sweet tension between feta and honey is the kind of flavor pairing that makes people close their eyes when they eat.
- It looks like something from a dinner party magazine spread but requires roughly the same effort as toast.
02 -
- Underripe pears will stay stubbornly firm no matter how long you bake them, so test for that gentle give at the stem end before committing.
- Letting the pears cool for just three to five minutes before serving makes the feta filling set into a creamy texture instead of running everywhere.
03 -
- A melon baller is the single best tool for coring pears quickly and creating a neat, even cavity that holds more filling than a spoon ever could.
- Brushing the cut surfaces of the pears with a little lemon juice before filling prevents browning and adds a subtle brightness to every bite.