Maple Baked Pears

If there's a smell better than warm maple syrup mingled with butter, I'd like to meet it and shake its hand. I would eat this sauce all by itself with a spoon, but since societal conventions tell us that's not acceptable, it's probably best to go ahead and make these baked pears. They are so simple to make but still impressive, and anything that requires ice cream on the side is a winner in my book. All the better to soak up that sauce.

Maple Syrup-Baked Pears
Recipe courtesy of Sweet Paul Magazine

4 pears
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 400º F. You can peel the pears or not, but cut them in half. Place pears in an ovenproof dish or skillet and pour on the maple syrup. Cut butter into cubes and add. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Turn pears over and bake for another 10-12 minutes. Serve with ice cream.