29/06/2025
Grilled Piqa Boo Pears with Mascarpone, Maple & Cinnamon Almonds
A simple and delicious dessert with the perfect balance of sweet, warm fruit and crunchy, nutty texture. I used Piqa Boo pears for their natural sweetness, but feel free to substitute with any pear variety if needed.
Serves 2–3
Ingredients
4–5 Piqa Boo pears, halved, seeds removed
3 tbsp mascarpone cheese
2 tbsp quality maple syrup
⅓ cup cinnamon toasted almonds, roughly chopped (from The Nut Market)
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp olive oil
Flake salt
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Heat a griddle pan on high and a flat-based pan on medium.
Place half the pears cut-side down on the griddle pan. Press lightly for char lines.
In the flat pan, add butter and olive oil. Once melted, add remaining pears cut-side down. Keep heat moderate to avoid burning butter.
Cook both sets of pears for around 20 mins and allow to build colour. Turn them once browned. Begin basting pears in butter pan.
Flip and baste until golden. Transfer both pans to the oven.
Roast until pears soften slightly but still hold shape. Keep basting to avoid drying or burning.
Once done, toss griddled pears into butter pan. Add a pinch of flake salt over the pears.
To plate:
Spread mascarpone in a line on the plate. Arrange pears, alternating griddled and buttered. Drizzle maple syrup generously and top with cinnamon almonds.
Serve warm & enjoy immediately.
