1 c. heavy cream
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Toasted, sliced almonds
Core pears from the bottom. Pare them without removing stems. Brush well with the lemon juice to prevent discoloration.
Bring water to boiling in large skillet. Place pears in skillet. Lower the heat and simmer, turning and basting pears occasionally, until firm-tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the pears and liquid to a deep bowl; make sure pears are completely submerged. Refrigerate until well chilled.
Prepare Caramel Sauce: Heat the cream in a small saucepan just until bubbles form around the edge; do not let boil. Heat the sugar in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. When sugar begins to melt, reduce heat to low and continue to stir constantly, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is light brown.
Slowly add the warm cream, stirring constantly until sauce is smooth. (If some of the sugar crystallizes, cook, stirring constantly, until the crystals dissolves.) Remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla.
To serve, drain the pears thoroughly. Place on individual serving plates. Spoon the hot sauce over the pears. Garnish with the almonds.
NOTE: For advance preparation, make the caramel sauce ahead. Reheat very slowly over low heat, stirring constantly until hot.
