Five spice is a popular Chinese spice blend consisting of Szechuan peppercorns, star anise, cloves, cinnamon, and fennel seeds. A little goes a long way, so use it sparingly. Asian pears and five spice powder pair perfectly with toasted sesame seeds in this recipe and is a twist on a seasonal favorite. We all love Caramel Apples, why not Asian Pears?

  • Yields: 10 Caramel Asian Pears
  • Difficulty: Medium
  • Total: 1 Hour
  • Active: 1 Hour

Ingredients (9)

  • 1 cup butter
  • 2 cups light brown sugar
  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • 1- 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp. five spice powder
  • 3 cups toasted sesame seeds
  • 10 Asian pears, washed and dried
  • 10 wooden sticks

Instructions

  1. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet until they are golden and fragrant, stirring them to toast them evenly, about 10 to 15 minutes. Pour them out on a large plate to cool.
  2. Wash and dry the fruit, take out the stems and putting them on the wooden sticks; set aside on a wax paper lined sheet pan.
  3. Combine all the ingredients, except for the vanilla and five spice powder, in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over medium to high heat. Let boil for about 30 to 40 minutes. If you’re using a candy thermometer the temperature of the caramel should be around 248 to 250 degrees. Remove caramel from the heat and add the vanilla and five spice powder, stirring to combine. Working quickly, coat each Asian pear with the caramel by tilting the pan carefully and dipping the pears in, twirling them in the caramel. Roll the coated pears in the toasted sesame seeds and then put them back on the wax paper-lined baking sheet. Let the pears cool before eating them.