5-7 cardamom pods - green shells removed, coarsely crushed in a mortar and pestle
3-5 whole cloves
1-2 star anise (optional)
freshly squeezed juice of ½ lemon
honey - to taste
for the vanilla cashew cream
1½ cups cashews - preferably soaked for 2 hours
¾ cup unsweetened almond milk - preferably homemade
⅓ cup honey
1½ tablespoons chia seeds
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 roasted pear - from above
¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons neutral unrefined coconut oil - melted
for serving
more honey to drizzle
crushed pistachios (optional)
pomegranate kernels (optional)
Instructions
to roast the pears
Preheat oven to 400° F (200° C).
Lightly oil the baking dish with coconut oil. Arrange pears inside the dish cut side down. Pour water over the bottom of the dish and place spices in between pear halves. Drizzle with lemon juice and honey. Bake for 40-45 minutes, basting the pears with the liquid every now and then, until soft throughout. Let cool.
to make the vanilla cashew cream and serve
Drain and rinse cashews. Combine with almond milk, honey, chia seeds, vanilla extract and roasted pear in an upright blender, blend until smooth. Drizzle in the coconut oil with the motor still running and blend to incorporate. If using a regular blender (not a high-speed one such as Vitamix or Blendtec), optionally strain the cream through a fine-mesh sieve for a silky-smooth consistency. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours or overnight, letting the cream set.
To serve, whisk cream to fluff it up. Distribute between bowls, top with 1-2 pear halves, drizzle with honey, garnish with crushed pistachios and pomegranate kernels and enjoy.
Recipe by Golubka Kitchen at https://golubkakitchen.com/honey-roasted-pears-with-vanilla-cashew-cream/