Recipe for Pears with Candied Walnuts and Gorgonzola

For this platter of candied walnuts and cheese, Martha Stewart suggests Gorgonzola dolce, or dolcelatte, which is a creamy, slightly sweet blue cheese. If that's not available, regular Gorgonzola, which has a richer flavour, is great, too.

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PEARS WITH CANDIED WALNUTS AND GORGONZOLA

Start to finish: 30 minutes (10 minutes active)

Servings: 4

1 1/4 teaspoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

4 ripe but firm Bartlett pears, preferably red, halved lengthwise, cored and cut into wedges

8 ounces Gorgonzola dolce, room temperature

Heat the oven to 375 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and salt.

In a large saute pan over medium-high, bring the butter and maple syrup to a boil, then remove from heat. Add the nuts and toss to coat. Transfer the nuts to the prepared baking sheet, then sprinkle with the sugar mixture. Toss to coat, then spread in an even layer.

Toast until fragrant, about 7 minutes. Transfer the parchment with the nuts on it to a wire rack. Let the nuts cool completely.

To serve, arrange candied nuts, pear wedges and cheese on a platter, with a knife for spreading cheese.

(Recipe from "Martha Stewart's Dinner at Home" by Martha Stewart, Clarkson Potter, 2009)