Orange-Muscat Pears

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Step 2

   Select a deep, ovenproof, nonreactive saucepan that will hold the pears snugly when they are placed in it upright. Pour the wine and orange juice into the pan.

3. Step 3

   Peel the pears, taking care to leave the stems intact. If desired, remove the cores, digging them out with the point of a vegetable peeler or knife. As the pears are peeled, place them upright in the saucepan, coating them with the wine mixture so they do not discolor.

4. Step 4

   Place the saucepan in the oven and bake the pears for 3 hours, basting occasionally, until they are very tender.

5. Step 5

   Remove the pears from the oven and carefully transfer them to a dish that will still hold them upright.

6. Step 6

   Add the orange zest and honey to the saucepan and boil the remaining liquid until it is reduced to about ⅓ cup, turns a caramel color and becomes very syrupy. Toward the end of the cooking, the syrup will start to boil up in the pan; remove it from the heat and allow it to settle to determine whether it needs additional boiling. Do not allow the syrup to scorch. Pour it over the pears. Refrigerate them until serving time.

7. Step 7

   Serve the pears in chilled goblets or dishes, with sorbet or ice cream on the side, if desired.