---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.02

     Title: STEAMED PEARS
Categories: Fruits/nuts, Oriental, Desserts
     Yield: 4 servings

     4    Firm pears
     3 tb Sugar
          - pref. Chinese rock sugar
   1/3 c  Water
     2    Pieces Chinese cinnamon bark
          -=OR=-  Cinnamon sticks

 PEEL THE PEARS and cut them in half. Remove the core
 and seeds. Combine the sugar and water in a small pot
 and boil it until the sugar has completely dissolved.
 Allow it to cool slightly. Put the pears, sugar-water
 and cinnamon together into a shallow bowl. Set up a
 steamer or put a rack into a wok or pan. Add about 2
 inches of water and bring to a boil. Put the bowl of
 pears into the steamer or onto the rack, turn the heat
 down to a simmer and cover the wok or pot tightly with
 a lid. Slowly steam the pears for about 15-to-25
 minutes, until they are tender. (The cooking time will
 depend on the ripeness of the pears.) When the pears
 are cooked, drain all the liquid and cinnamon stick or
 bark into a small saucepan and reduce the liquid to a
 syrup by boiling it fast. Remove and discard the
 cinnamon stick. Pour the syrup over the pears and
 serve at once. Or you can let the mixture cool, cover
 it with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are
 ready to serve it.

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