3/4 lb. Mascarpone cheese or cream cheese
1/4 c. hazelnut liqueur
1 lemon
4 qts. water
3 tsp. mint, fresh, minced
4 pears, Anjou or Bartlett
8 walnut halves
4 sprigs mint, fresh

Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the 4 quarts of water and add the two lemon halves to the water also. Peel, halve, and core the pears and place them into the lemon water and refrigerate.

In a mixing bowl, beat the Mascarpone cheese, hazelnut liqueur, and minced mint together until smooth. When ready to serve dessert, drain the lemon water from the pears and arrange the pears on individual dessert plates. Top each pear half with 3 tablespoons of the cheese mixture. Garnish with 2 walnut halves each and a sprig of fresh mint. Serves: 4.