Baked Pear In Lavender Syrup

• 1/4 cup organic castor sugar infused with lavender seeds
• 1/4 cup water
• 1-2 pears (I used Bartlett because they were local)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• a few ounces your favorite chevre or any similar soft cheese

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. make a simple syrup with the lavender sugar and water: combine the sugar and the water in a saucepan over medium-high heat until they dissolve. lower heat to medium-low and stir, watching as they create an intoxicating aromatic syrup. take off the hear and add the vanilla extract.
3. slice your pear(s) in half at their midsection. Using a melon baller, or a sharp knife and spoon, hollow out the core.
4. place the fruit cut side down in the pan with the syrup and move the whole thing into the oven. After about 20 minutes, take a spoon and drizzle some of the the syrup onto the fruit. Continue baking until tender ~ about 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of your pear(s).
5. If your chevre is creamy enough, take a spoonful and place it inside the bottom half of your pear. It could be cute to reconstruct your pear at this point and bake for a little bit longer to warm the cheese. However, you could also whip the chevre with some of the syrup from the pan until creamy or mousse-like and add it to your dessert before serving (I took this route and though it was slightly cool, the heat from the pear warmed the cheese by the time I sat down to eat it).
6. plate your halved pear however suits you. Garnish with a sprig of lavender if available and enjoy.

sugar, water, vanilla, soft cheese

Taken from food52.com/recipes/14376-baked-pear-in-lavender-syrup (may not work)