Start with two ripe pears. No matter how ripe you guess, think, or hope they are, they're not their best til pressing gently with your thumb leaves a slight indentation. The beauty of this recipe is that baking can rescue a prematurely tasted fruit.

Halve the pears vertically. You needn't bother to core them.

Take half a stick cold butter and cut it up.

Nestle the pears above pats of butter, face down, then top with additional bits.

Add a tablespoon or two of sugar and put into the oven at about 375.

If you put pears into the oven as you sit down for a meal, it will be sizzling 30-40 minutes later.

Once the sugar has melted and the butter is syrup-y and bubbling, add up to a pint of cream or ½ & ½ and return to the heat of the oven for another 15 minutes or so,

Once the cream has thickened and the pears are tender, remove the fruit from the pan and whisk the cream mixture.

Serve alone, with vanilla ice cream, or with the quick pan sauce. Serves 4. Great for breakfast too.