Desserts

Grilled Pears with Blueberries and Ice-Cream
(Serves 6)

2 pints blueberries
1/3 cup water
1 tsp fresh lemon juice; more to taste
sugar to taste
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 Tbsp honey or maple syrup
½ tsp ground cinnamon
4 large, just ripe pears (they shouldn't dent when you pick them up, but should give when firmly pressed)
Butterscotch or vanilla ice-cream
Crisp butter cookies
Fresh mint sprigs (garnish)

1. In a blender, mix 1 of the pints of blueberries with the water and lemon juice. Puree until smooth. Pass the puree through a fine sieve, pressing down with the back of a ladle. Adjust the flavour with either more lemon juice or a little sugar. Reserve this coulis.
2. Heat the grill to medium high. In a shallow bowl, stir together the melted butter, honey or maple syrup and cinnamon. Cut each pear in half and remove the pit. Slice a bit off the other side to allow fruit to lay flat. Roll each half in the melted butter mixture. Grill, pit side down, until the fruit is softened and the pit side begins to darken and caramelize, about 4 minutes.
3. Put a pear half at the center of each plate. Drizzle some of the coulis around the fruit and sprinkle with the fresh blueberries. Top each pear while still warm with a scoop of ice-cream. Garnish with a butter cookie and a mint sprig, if desired.