Panforte with Pears and Vanilla Cream

• FAST
• VEGETARIAN

Ingredients

1. Fresh lemon juice
2. 2 large ripe Bartlett pears—peeled, halved lengthwise, cored and thinly sliced crosswise
3. 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped panforte (about 7 1/2 ounces)
4. 1 cup heavy cream
5. 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Sprinkle a few drops of lemon juice over the pears to prevent discoloring.
2. Divide 1 cup of the panforte among 4 shallow heatproof dishes. In a small saucepan, scald the cream. Stir in the vanilla. Pour half of the cream over the panforte. Top each serving with a pear half and the remaining cream. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of panforte on top. Set the dishes on a cookie sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, until the cream is bubbling and the top is brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.