CRUNCHY PEARS

Crunchy Pears image

Crisp-tender baked pears dressed in a cookie crumb and almond coating provide an elegant ending to a special meal. I like to serve this whenever a creative mood strike. -Nancy Sparrow, Baltimore, Maryland

Provided by Taste of Home

Time 55m

Yield 8 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 6

Ingredients

8 large firm pears
1/2 cup orange juice
1/3 cup orange marmalade
1/3 cup crushed reduced-fat vanilla wafers (about 10 wafers)
1/3 cup finely chopped almonds
1 cup fat-free reduced-sugar orange or plain yogurt

Steps:

Core pears from bottom, leaving steams intact. Peel pears, leaving a small amount of peel at stem end. Cut 1/4 in. from bottom to level if necessary. In a bowl, combine orange juice and marmalade; spoon over pears, letting excess drip into bowl. Set aside for sauce. Place wafer crumbs and almonds in a large shallow dish. Roll pears in crumb mixture to coat the bottom three-fourths of each pear., Place in a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 35-45 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, for sauce, combine yogurt and reserved marmalade mixture; refrigerate until serving. Serve with warm pears.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 231 calories, Fat 5g fat (1g saturated fat), Cholesterol 2mg cholesterol, Sodium 55mg sodium, Carbohydrate 46g carbohydrate, Fiber 5g fiber), Protein 4g protein.