Baked St. Albans with Pumpkin & Pear Butter
Servings:
8
prep time:
30 mins
cook time:
2 hours 30 mins
Total time:
3 hours 0 mins
Ingredients
Pumpkin Pear Butter
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2 sugar pumpkins
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3 pounds pears, peeled and cored, quartered
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¼ cup pear cider, pear juice or apple cider
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½ cup brown sugar
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¼ cup maple syrup
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1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
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pinch nutmeg
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1 teaspoon five-spice powder
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1 tsp lemon juice
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pinch sea salt
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Vermont Creamery St. Albans
2 crocks
5-spice maple roasted pumpkin seeds
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2 cups pumpkin seeds, rinsed and dried completely
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1 tablespoon olive oil
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2 tablespoon maple syrup
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sea salt
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1 tablespoon five-spice powder
Directions
FOR THE PUMPKIN PEAR BUTTER
- Heat oven to 350°F. Slice pumpkins in half (we slice the cap of the pumpkin off for ease of handling). Scoop out seeds and fibrous guts (but save). Brush with oil, and place face down on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast for 45-50 minutes, until fork-tender. Let pumpkins cool for 10 minutes. Remove flesh from skin.
- Meanwhile, peel, core and quarter pears. Place in a heavy-bottomed pot with ½ cup water. Cook over medium-low heat, until pears are tender and easily mashable, around 15-20 minutes.
- Place roasted pumpkin flesh, tender pears and its juices, and pear cider in the blender and blend until smooth. Put back into pan, along with sugar, maple syrup, and spices. Bring to a simmer, then turn heat to medium-low and cook for 30 minutes, using a splash shield to prevent splatters (we put a lid on propped open with a wooden spoon), stirring every 10 minutes to prevent any sticking. Reduce to the thickness you prefer, then stir in lemon juice.
FOR THE ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS
- Heat oven to 375°F. Combine cleaned pumpkin seeds, olive oil, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, sea salt and 5-spice powder in bowl. Spread out onto parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Roast seeds for 20 minutes, stirring and flipping half way through. Keep an eye on them to make sure they don't burn. Turn off oven, and let seeds sit in oven as it cools.
PUT IT TOGETHER
- Heat oven to 400°F. Spoon generous amounts of pumpkin/pear butter on top of St Albans cheese in its crock. Place crock on a baking tray and place in the oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until silky soft and melted. Serve with bread, crackers, and fruit.
