Baked fruit makes a simple, elegant dessert. Firm but juicy pears are best, but with slow cooking, pears that are a little less than ripe will become meltingly delicious too.

Ingredients

• 8 firm, ripe pears
• juice ½ lemon
• 70 gram packet macadamia nuts, roasted and chopped
• 50 gram butter, softened
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• ½ cup whisky or orange juice

Method

1. Turn the slow cooker on to low to pre-warm while gathering and preparing the ingredients.
2. Core the pears and replace a small plug of the core in the base of each pear. Peel the pears if wished, or peel only halfway. Brush the cut surface of the pear with lemon juice to prevent discolouration.
3. Mix the macadamia nuts with the butter, brown sugar and vanilla essence. Use three-quarters of the mixture to fill the pear cavities.
4. Place the pears in the pre-warmed slow cooker. Drop the remaining stuffing mix into the slow cooker. Pour in the whisky or orange juice, sprinkle over the sugar and cover with the lid.
5. Cook on low for 4-4½ hour or on high for 2-2½ hours. Cooking time will depend on the ripeness of the pears.
6. Serve with your favourite custard or glace orange ice cream, spooning any syrup that has formed in the base of the slow cooker onto each pear.