Oct
2012
Must Try Monday {Cardamom Pears}
Yay! I have another super awesome foodie on My Favorite Finds today, sharing her Cardamom Pears for this week's Must Try Monday. I'm encouraging a "co host" with me each week....and if you want to join in, please email me and we'll get all set up. Today is CJ from Morsels of Life. She is a true "foodie", consistently sharing unique combinations of flavors on her blog, Morsels of Life.
I had some pears I needed to use, but I didn't want to just eat them, so I looked at what else I had. I thought about the Balsamic Pears, but I kinda wanted something more along the lines of a Quick Apple Crisp or Easy Peach Cobbler. And then I saw cardamom.
Native to India and Bhutan, cardamom comes in a small triangular seed pod with a papery shell and several small dark brown/black seeds inside. Cardamom's got a strong, sweet fragrance, and a little goes a long way. A good thing, since cardamom's apparently the third most expensive spice - only saffron and vanilla cost more! You should be able to find it reasonably priced at Indian or ethnic groceries. If none is available locally, there's still Amazon! Remember, a little goes a long way, so even a small package will last quite a while. You can also use cardamom in Indian dishes, Nordic breads, garam masala, or even to flavor your coffee or chai tea.
I just served these pears with some candied ginger, but you can easily add some toasted oats and make a quick pear crisp or serve it with some vanilla ice cream. Or both 
Warm pears flavored with cardamom and vanilla, then garnished with candied ginger. Perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Total time: 10 minutes
Yield: 2 servings
Materials:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 pears, cut into eighths
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- candied ginger, chopped
Methods:
- Place butter and pears into pan, and melt butter.
- Stir in remaining materials, cooking until pears soft and syrup thickened.
- Garnish with candied ginger, and serve with vanilla ice cream if desired.
Welcome to Must Try Monday! The weekly link party where you can share your favorite recipes...those that everyone “must try”. To link up, please to the following:
1. Include a Must Try Monday OR a text link back to My Favorite Finds and Morsels of Life
2. Please link directly to the recipe you are sharing.
3. Please know that I appreciate you sharing every week {and you might be featured!}
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Sarah C.
October 29, 2012 at 12:34 am (208 days ago)Thanks so much for hosting. I'll follow via FB now!
Mary
October 29, 2012 at 2:15 am (208 days ago)I love the Cardamom Pear recipe - I am a major fan Indian cuisine, one of my favorites! Pinning and following - both :O) Thanks for the yummy share and for co-hosting. Hope you two have a great week!
CJ @ Morsels of Life
October 31, 2012 at 8:14 pm (205 days ago)Thanks Mary! I hope you enjoy these Cardamom pears. They do have a slight bit of Indian flavor to them, now that you mention it.
CJ @ Morsels of Life
October 29, 2012 at 10:19 am (207 days ago)Thanks for letting me co-host with you! Hope everyone enjoys these cardamom pears.
Diane
October 29, 2012 at 12:22 pm (207 days ago)Love your new site. I up dated your info on my party page. Good luck and thanks for the party.
Carissa
October 29, 2012 at 9:49 pm (207 days ago)love the look of the new site! thanks for hosting!
Adrianne at Happy Hour
October 30, 2012 at 12:30 pm (206 days ago)I don't have a recipe to link, but thank you for the recipe share! I picked up some cardamom for my spiced chai and have been on the lookout for more recipes to make with it. You are right - a little goes a long way, but it really adds a wonderful flavor! I love pears anyway - looking forward to giving this a try!
CJ @ Morsels of Life
October 31, 2012 at 8:15 pm (205 days ago)I'm with you on that! I got cardamom originally for making chai, but I'm slowly finding other uses for it.
Hope you like this Cardamom Pear recipe!