Pecan & Date-Stuffed Roasted Pears

Since my husband is a big fan of desserts made from fresh fruit, I was drawn to the "Pecan & Date-Stuffed Roasted Pears" (page 482), as an alternative to poached pears (a favorite of his, but not so much of mine). These were amazingly delicious! Halved pears with the middles scooped out with a melon baller are stuffed with a mixture of pecans, dates, maple syrup, and spices. Margarine is supposed to be included in this mixture, but I substituted the one tablespoon called for with one tablespoon of tahini. For a milder flavor, you could also use almond or cashew butter (update 11/9/2012 - I just made this again using 3 tablespoons of applesauce instead of the margarine or nut butters, and it was delicious!), or leave out altogether with great results. The stuffed pears are topped with a sprinkle of fruit juice and baked in the oven. This is a wonderful dessert for the Autumn season, and very healthy (especially if you leave out the margarine). The recipe suggests serving these topped with chocolate sauce or raspberry coulis (recipes found elsewhere in the book which I haven't tried yet), or with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice-cream. We enjoyed them "plain" this time around, but may try one of the other serving suggestion next time I make them.