Granola-Ginger Baked Pears

Prep: 20 min., Bake: 45 min., Cook: 6 min.

Yield: Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

• 4  Bosc pears
• 3  (1.5-oz.) oat-and-honey granola bars, finely crushed
• 1/2  cup  roasted salted almonds, chopped
• 1/4  cup  finely chopped crystallized ginger
• 1/4  cup  butter, softened
• 3/4  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
• 1 3/4  cups  apple cider
• 1/3  cup  cherry preserves
• 1  (7-oz.) container Greek yogurt

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Cut pears in half, cutting through stem and bottom ends. Scoop out core and pulp, leaving a 3/4-inch shell. Cut about 1/4 inch from opposite side of pear, forming a flat base.

2. Stir together crushed granola bars and next 4 ingredients. Spoon mixture into pear shells, pressing to gently pack. Arrange pears in a 13- x 9-inch pan. Pour cider around pears in pan.

3. Bake at 375° for 25 to 45 minutes or until pears are tender, basting twice with pan juices.

4. Place pears on a serving plate. Add preserves to pan juices, and cook, over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, 5 to 6 minutes or until thickened. Serve pears with warm sauce and Greek yogurt.

Note: Baking times will vary greatly due to the ripeness of your fruit. Begin testing for doneness by inserting a wooden pick directly into the fruit (not granola mixture) after 25 minutes of baking. A wooden pick should be able to pierce the fruit easily with just a little resistance. Overcooking will lead to the fruit losing its natural shape and becoming mushy. For testing purposes only, we used Nature Valley Oats 'N Honey Crunchy Granola Bars.