There was an amazing crop of pears this fall. In a search for doing something different these bites hit the mark.
The smokiness of the gouda with the sweetness of the sugared pears and the touch of heat from the pepper it was perfect.
I used a combination of Bartlett Seckel pears. I preferred the Seckels because of their sweetness. If you can find them in store I highly recommend them.
Smoked Gouda with Seckel Pear
2 medium ripe pears
1 tablespoon of sugar
2 cups of smoked gouda – shredded
I loaf of crusty bread – sliced thin
black pepper
parsley
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Peel the pear, cut in half and remove the stem and core. Place the pear halves, cut side down on a greased baking sheet and coat generously with sugar.
Bake for 10 minutes then turn and continue to bake for another 10 minutes. Allow to cool then slice thinly. Cut the bread into 18 squares and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Top the bread with a tablespoon on the cheese and top with a pear. Bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Season with pepper.
Serve warm.
