Honey Balsamic Roasted Pears with Buttermilk Ice Cream

Teresa uses pears with stems still attached, as she likes how they look. If you don't have citrus flavored olive oil, you can substitute 3 tablespoons olive oil with 1 tablespoon lemon juice. If you don't have honey-balsamic vinegar, make some by whisking honey and balsamic vinegar together until emulsified.

We recommend shopping the oil and vinegar selection of Herban Market for this and many other recipes.

By Teresa Blackburn / Photography By Teresa Blackburn | October 27, 2020

Ingredients

buttermilk ice cream

7 egg yolks
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
2 cups heavy cream
pinch kosher salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups buttermilk

roasted pears

2 firm, but ripe pears, cut in half and core scooped out
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
1/4 cup citrus flavored olive oil
1/4 cup honey-balsamic vinegar

Preparation

1. To prepare ice cream, add egg yolks and ½ cup sugar to large bowl and combine using a hand mixer set on low or a whisk until pale and thick. Set aside.

2. In saucepan, combine cream, remaining ½ cup sugar, salt, and vanilla and whisk well. Cook over medium low heat until just coming to boil.

3. Quickly whisk ⅓ of hot cream mixture into thickened egg yolks. Add another ⅓ of hot cream mixture and continue whisking quickly to blend. Pour mixture back into saucepan and stir constantly over low heat until mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon, being careful not to let boil.

4. Pour through strainer. Whisk in buttermilk. Cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate a few hours or overnight.

5. Whisk and pour cold mixture into bowl of ice cream maker following machine directions. In roughly 30-40 minutes, somewhat soft, creamy ice cream will result. Freeze in airtight carton for harder ice cream.

6. To prepare pears, preheat oven to 400F. Place pear halves cut side up in roasting pan. Dust pears with sugar and drizzle with citrus flavored olive oil and honey-balsamic vinegar.

7. Roast 12-15 minutes or until caramelized and a little charred on edges. Remove from oven and let cool in pan a few minutes.

8. Serve with scoop of buttermilk ice cream and drizzle with pan drippings.