Bartlett Pear, Caramelized Walnut and Cheese Plate

Appetizers.
Wow your guests with this classic and delicious combination of fruit, nuts and cheese. 

Bartlett Pear, Caramelized Walnut and Cheese Plate

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredients
1 lb walnut pieces (preferably halves)
1 tbsp molasses
3 tbsp honey
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 ripe but firm Bartlett pears, cored and sliced into eighths
1/2 lb blue cheese (preferably Gorgonzola or Stilton)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray paper with non-stick cooking spray. 2. In a small saucepan, bring 3 to 4 cups water to a boil. Pour walnuts into water and boil for 7 minutes. Immediately drain the nuts in a colander and set aside. 3. Place the molasses, honey, sugar and salt in a 2 1/2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the walnuts and stir continuously with a wooden spoon until all of the liquid mixture has coated the nuts, about 4 to 5 minutes. Pour the nuts onto the prepared cookie sheet and place in the oven. Bake for approximately 12 minutes, turning every 4 minutes or os, until the nuts turn a medium-brown, toasty color. Be careful not to let them burn. 4. Remove from oven and pull parchment paper off cookie sheet onto a counter or table so nuts can cool more quickly. When cool, break up nuts and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Nuts can also be frozen for several months. 5. Serve walnuts with ripe pear slices and blue cheese on a medium-sized platter. 

Source: California Pear website at http://www.calpear.com