Title: Baked pears with sherry custard sauce and amaretti snow
 Categories: Ew, Text, Import
      Yield: 1 Servings
 
    1/3 c  Golden raisins
    1/3 c  Fruity, slightly sweet wine
           -such as Riesling or
           -Gewurztraminer
      8    Medium-tart baking pears,;
           -peeled and cored
    1/2 c  Toasted pine nuts
    1/3 c  Melted unsalted butter
    1/2 c  Light-brown sugar
    1/2 c  Dry white wine
      1 ts Grated lemon zest
           Sherry Custard Sauce (recipe
           -follows)
           Amaretti Cookies, crushed
           -(recipe follows)

MMMMM--------------------------GARNISH-------------------------------
      8 lg Mint sprigs,; if desired.
 
  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a small saucepan, combine the
  raisins and wine and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and let
  stand 15 minutes to allow the raisins to plump. Strain the raisins
  and drain well, reserving any liquid. Place the pears in a baking
  dish just large enough to hold them. Combine the raisins with the
  pine nuts and fill the cavities of the pears. Put the butter, brown
  sugar, white wine, lemon zest and the reserved raisin liquid in the
  saucepan and simmer to melt the sugar, approximately 2 minutes.
  Drizzle over the pears. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the pears
  are tender when pierced with a toothpick, basting occasionally with
  the juices. Serve the warm pears in shallow wide-rimmed bowls. Spoon
  the Sherry Custard Sauce around and sprinkle with crushed Amaretti
  Cookies. Garnish with the mint sprigs, if desired.
  
  Yield: 8 servings