The aroma of baking sweet pears filling your home is very welcoming. The subtle maple flavor in this recipe suits baked Bosc pears perfectly.

INGREDIENTS
4 to 5 medium firm pears, preferably Bosc
1/4 cup maple syrup
Cinnamon
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
Low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2. Quarter the pears lengthwise, and remove the cores and stem ends. Cut each quarter in half lengthwise. Arrange In a 9 by 9-inch nonstick baking pan.

3. Drizzle the syrup over the pears, and sprinkle with a little cinnamon. Scatter the walnuts over the pears.

4. Bake until the pears are tender but not overcooked, 25 to 30 minutes. Stir the mixture well about 15 minutes into the baking time. Serve warm in shallow bowls or over frozen yogurt if desired.

4 servings

Variation: Omit the walnuts; sprinkle the pears with about 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips once out of the oven.

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