Ricotta Pear Stacks
Ingredients
  • 3/4cup ricotta cheese
  • 2-3teaspoons maple syrupto taste
  • 1teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1teaspoon cinnamonplus more for garnish
  • 3 Bosc pears
  • chopped pistachiosfor garnish
Instructions
  1. Create the ricotta filling first by combining ricotta, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and cinnamon in a bowl. Taste and adjust as you like.
  2. Next, prepare the pears. Peel* the skins with a thin paring knife, leaving the top stem for decoration. Using the same knife or, if you have one, a melon baller, scoop out the bottom core of the pear.
  3. Slice the bottom of the pears to make a flat and stable surface, so they will stand straight, and then slice the pears horizontally into thick pieces about 1″ in height, carefully picking out any seeds as you see them.
  4. Spoon ricotta filling between the layers and stand pears up individually, on three separate plates.
  5. To garnish, sprinkle extra cinnamon and some pistachios over the top. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes

When you cut into the pear stacks, they usually collapse all over your plate, which destroys the presentation but makes for a delicious mingling of filling and fruit. I can say with total confidence that the pistachios were a winning addition, and you might even want to add pistachios between the pear layers because they’re just that good.

*Peeling the pears is completely optional, but we chose to do so because our pears weren’t organic.