This recipe is the simplest of the bunch, but definitely the most sophisticated. When you bite into the tender baked pear and almondy cookie filling, you’ll be hooked. And like the best summer desserts, it can be made ahead to serve at room temperature.
1 1/2 cups crushed amaretti di saronno cookies
6 fresh pears, peeled, cut in half and cored
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 egg
Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Place amaretti cookies in a heavy plastic bag and gently crush with a rolling pin or tenderizing mallet to form coarse crumbs. Using a melon baller, scoop out a bit of the center of each pear to form a hole for the amaretti filling, reserving the extra pear flesh.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, puree the pear flesh until smooth. Add butter, egg and crushed cookies, pulsing just until smooth. Divide filling among the pears, filling each center. Place the pear halves in baking dish and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until pears are soft but still hold their shape. Remove dish from oven and allow pears to cool. Serve at room temperature. Makes 12.
