Smoked stuffed pears offer a delightful combination of sweet, savory, and smoky flavors, making them a unique and elegant dish. They can be served as an elegant appetizer, a unique side dish, or even a dessert with an extra drizzle of maple whiskey glaze.
The preparation begins with ripe yet firm pears, which are halved and carefully cored to create a small cavity for the stuffing. This stuffing can be a blend of ingredients; this recipe includes ricotta, walnuts, honey, and lemon zest. The contrast of textures and flavors ensures that every bite is both rich and well-balanced.
Once stuffed, the pears are placed in a smoker, where gentle wood smoke infuses them with a deep, aromatic flavor. The slow-smoking process allows the pears to soften slightly while enhancing their natural sugars, caramelizing their edges, and intensifying their sweetness.
Smoked Stuffed Pears Recipe
Ingredients
Ricotta Stuffing
- 1 1/4 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 cup crushed walnuts
- 1 lemon zested
Maple Whiskey Glaze
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 2 shots whiskey
Crumble Topping
- 1 Biscoff biscuits or plain sweet biscuit
To Cook
- 4 pears (firm)
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
Equipment
- smoker
- ziplock bag
- baking dish
Directions
- Preheat a grill for indirect cooking or a smoker to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).Tip: As this is a dessert, it can easily be placed in a barbecue after you have taken the main course out to use the residual heat while eating.
Ricotta Stuffing
- Combine the ricotta cheese, brown sugar, honey, walnuts, and lemon zest in a bowl.
- Once well combined, put aside until needed.
Maple Whiskey Glaze
- Combine the maple syrup and whiskey in a bowl.
Crumble Topping
- Place the biscuits in a ziplock bag and crush until crumbed.
To Cook
- Clean the pears then slice in half longways and remove the seeds with a spoon to create a dint.
- Place the pears in the baking dish flat side down and brush with the Maple Whiskey Glaze. Turn the pears over and brush the other side with the glaze.
- Place a large spoonful of the ricotta filling in each pear so as to use up all the filling across the eight pear halves.
- Sprinkle the crushed biscuits over the pear filling, then drizzle with the additional maple syrup.
- Place the pear-filled baking dish in the preheated barbecue and cook until soft. Depending on the size and firmness of the pear, this can take 30 to 60 minutes. Tip: the softness of the pears can be checked by inserting a skewer and feeling the resistance.
Nutritional Information
More Pear Recipes
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BBQ Grilled Dessert
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Plank Cooking
