Cardamom Pears Over Spiced Yogurt Food

ROASTED PEARS WITH HONEY-HERB YOGURT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Quarter the pears lengthwise and remove the cores with a paring knife.
• Melt the butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, then stir in 1 tablespoon of the honey and the cinnamon. Turn off the heat and add the pears, turning to coat. Arrange cut-side-down and roast, turning once, until golden and tender, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, stir the yogurt, mint, thyme and the remaining 2 tablespoons honey together in a small bowl. Serve the warm pears drizzled with some of the cooking liquid from the skillet, a dollop of the yogurt, and a small mint leaf.

SUGARED CARDAMOM PEARS

Steps:

• In a skillet over medium-high heat, add the butter. As the butter melts and begins to foam, add the Bosc pears. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until they begin to soften. Add the brown sugar and stir to incorporate the sugar mixture, evenly coating the pears. Stir in the salt, cardamom, and vanilla extract, and continue to stir until the liquid becomes syrupy. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve over vanilla ice cream garnished with crystallized ginger.

UPSIDE-DOWN PEAR CARDAMOM CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Make caramelized pears:
• Peel pears, then halve lengthwise and core. Spread sugar on a plate, then press cut sides of pear halves into sugar to coat, reserving remaining sugar.
• Melt butter in a well-seasoned 10-inch cast-iron skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides. Reduce heat to low and arrange pears, cut sides down, decoratively in skillet. Sprinkle reserved sugar all around pears. Cook pears over moderately low heat until sugar begins to caramelize, about 15 minutes, and remove skillet from heat.
• Make cake batter:
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt. Beat together butter and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg and beat well. Add flour mixture and milk alternately in 3 batches, mixing at low speed after each addition until just combined.
• Spoon batter over pears in skillet, gently spreading evenly and being careful not to disturb pears (batter will not cover tops of all pears). Bake in middle of oven until golden brown and a tester comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Cool cake in skillet on a rack 5 minutes. Run a thin knife around edge and invert a plate over skillet. Invert cake onto plate (wearing oven mitts), keeping plate and skillet firmly pressed together. Replace any fruit stuck to bottom of skillet if necessary.
• Serve cake warm or at room temperature.