ROASTED PEARS

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Melt butter in a 10″ skillet, over medium-high heat.
2. Place the pears cut side down and allow the pears to start sauté for about 5 minutes. Gently flip over to rounded side.
3. Place skillet with the flipped pears into the oven to continue to roast, about 10-12 minutes until they are soft when poked through with a fork.
4. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cutting board to cool.
5. When they are cooled, with the pears laying on the flat sides, slice the pears into 1/2″ slices. To fit them into the pan, remove the top 1/3 of the pear (where the fruit narrows to stem area. This will help give you space in the pan to create the fanned look in the pears. But don’t throw them out, they are delicious on their own!) Using a pie knife slide it under the cut pear, and gently press onto the cut pear so they slide into a fanned look.

CHOCOLATE CHAI CAKE

1. Reduce oven to 325 degrees. Spray the skillet with non stick spray.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, chai spice, baking powder, and salt together.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the sugar and egg until pale yellow. Whisk in melted butter, and vanilla.
4. Fold the flour into the mixture to create a batter. And at the end fold in the chocolate chips.
5. Pour the batter into the skillet and spread it around to the edges. It may start to get warm and melt from the residual heat from the skillet, but that is okay. Gently fan the pear slices on top. They will start to sink, that is okay!
6. Return the skillet with the pears to the oven, and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick placed into the center comes out clean, or with just a few crumbs.
7. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Or serve warm with ice cream.