Sometimes, a light, elegant bite of fruit is exactly what you want after a meal. For the best presentation, select pears that have stems, and leave them on for a beautiful vertical element.

Ingredients

• 4 ripe Barlett pears
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 strip lemon peel
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 cups water
• 1 teabag of Earl Grey

Preparation

• Peel the pears, leaving the stems intact. Rub each pear with lemon juice to prevent browning as you work.
• In a 2-quart pot, combine the lemon peel, honey, and water and stir to mix. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and stir to dissolve the honey. Lower heat to a simmer. Drop in the teabag and steep for 4 minutes, then carefully remove.
• Carefully place the pears in the simmering water, stems up. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium or medium low to maintain a good simmer. Cook for 20 minutes, checking and turning the pears halfway. When the fattest part of the pear is tender when you test it with a fork, remove from heat and transfer the pears to a serving plate.
• Put the pan back on the heat and boil on medium-high for about 5 minutes to reduce to a syrup. Let cool slightly, then drizzle over the pears.

Serving Suggestion

These pretty, fragrant pears are perfect as they are with vanilla ice cream and crumbled shortbread.