Recipe: Baked pears with vanilla and bay leaf syrup

Serves 4

4 packham pears - ripe
4 sheets of puff pastry
1 egg
2 Tbs milk

Syrup
2 bay leaves
1 vanilla bean
3/4 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup water
Cream to serve

1 Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

2 Peel the pears, leaving on the stalks then slice a sliver off the bottom of each so they sit flat.

3 Lay one sheet of pastry on a lightly floured bench. Sit a pear in the centre then bring the pastry up around the pear. Trim the excess then seal to ensure the pear is completely enclosed. Use the excess to make leaf shapes and press onto the pastry.

4 Whisk the egg and milk together then brush all over the pears.

5 Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until golden. Meanwhile make the syrup by putting all the ingredients into a saucepan and then bring to a boil. Stir then let reduce, this should take approximately 20 minutes.

6 Serve the pears hot with the syrup poured over and softly whipped cream on the side.

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