Pears with Ginger, Juniper Berries and Caraway Cream

This experiment proved to be a great success. Using the juniper berry in a dessert is not common but I found that it added an interesting layer of flavor to this pear dessert.

INGREDIENTS:

Number of servings

Servings: 4

List of ingredients

¼ cup (½dl) honey, preferably heather honey

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

4 pears, such as Anjou, peeled

2 tablespoons finely chopped ginger

8 juniper berries, ground or finely crushed

¼ teaspoon chili powder

½ cup (1dl) heavy (whipping) cream

1 teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed

1 tablespoon aquavit (optional)

1 tablespoon superfine sugar

PREPARATION:

• In a large nonstick skillet, heat the honey and butter until a dark caramel starts to form in the center of the pan. Immediately reduce the heat and add the pears, ginger, juniper berries, and chili powder. Cook the pears, turning them every few minutes, for 20 minutes over medium-low heat, or until tender but still somewhat firm near the core. Remove from the heat.

• Whip the cream in a small bowl until stiff. Fold in the caraway seeds, aquavit, if using, and sugar.

• Place the pears on plates and spoon the honey caramel sauce over, followed by the whipped cream. Serve immediately.