Roasted Pears in Honey Caramel

This is a beautiful fall dessert inspired by one of Kate Zuckerman's recipes in her book "The Sweet Life."  If you enjoy caramel and pears, this is the recipe to make for your next dinner party!  The pears served warm are delicious on their own but if you want added flavor and richness, serve them with whipped creme fraiche on the side!    

For the recipe:

• 4 pears
• 1 lemon
• 28 grams (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 160 grams (1/2 cup) honey
• 50 grams (1/4 cup) sugar 
• pinch of salt

Set oven at 425 F

Wash and peel the pears, leaving them whole and with the stems on. Cut the bottom of each pear to create a flat surface so that they stay upright in the baking dish. 
Peel lemon zest into 4 long strips. Add the zest along with all other ingredients to the pears in the baking dish, it will all melt in the oven so no need to combine them. 
Place in the oven for 30 minutes or until everything has melted.  
Rotate the pears so that they are laying on their sides in the liquid and bake for 20 minutes.  
Rotate the pears again to lay them on the other side and bake them for another 20 minutes.
At this point the pears should be soft and cooked.  Stand them upright again in the liquid and place them back in the oven for 15 minutes. Keep baking them, making sure to baste every 15 minutes until they are nicely caramelized. Enjoy!