In the kitchen with Kelley: Maple-glazed pears with cinnamon and pecans

In the kitchen with Kelley: Maple-glazed pears with cinnamon and walnuts

Fruit, walnuts, maple syrup and cinnamon… Besides being delicious, this one sweet treat has so much healthy goodness going on in it, you could practically eat it everyday and feel great about it.

That’s because this recipes falls inline with a type of dessert my colleague Margaret Cantwell refers to as “the three pleasures.”

Desserts created with the three pleasures… fruit, nuts and sometimes dark chocolate, satisfy your sweet tooth in a way that is healthier and promote better weight loss success. You can read more about how in Margaret’s post: Why dessert helps you eat better and lose weight.

But as far as good nutrition goes, let’s start with the brain-boosting walnuts. While they help protect your brain, lab tests have also connected them with a reduced risk of breast and prostate cancer, a better insulin response (which means a lowered chance of diabetes) as well as a healthy cholesterol profile.

Now the maple syrup… studies have shown this sticky natural concoction to be liver-protective and it may help ward off Alzheimer’s too. Don’t forget its anti-inflammatory properties, either.

The fruit… pears are one of my all-time favorites–pack their fair share of heart-healthy fiber. Pears also make the list of 14 spermidine-rich foods that fight premature aging.

A little cinnamon brings it all together… and boasts not shortage of health-boosting compounds you can read about here.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!

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In the kitchen with Kelley: Maple-glazed pears with cinnamon and walnuts

Ingredients

2 pears, peeled, quartered and cored
½ cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup of walnuts, crumbled
cinnamon, to taste

Instructions

Pour the maple syrup into a medium skillet. (I use an iron skillet.) There should be enough syrup to just cover the bottom of the pan.
Turn the heat to medium and warm the syrup.
Add the butter and stir until mostly melted.
Place the pears in the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Simmer, turning the pears every few minutes, until the syrup and butter mixture becomes thick and the pears turn dark, about 10 minutes. You may have to lower the heat as the syrup reduces.
Add the walnuts and cook until the liquid is very thick but still pourable, another 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the pears to a plate and drizzle with the sauce, walnuts and more cinnamon, if you like.