BAKED PEARS IN MAPLE SYRUP AND APPLE BRANDY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Put maple syrup in a shallow bowl.
• Cut a thin slice from the bottom of each pear so that the pears will stand upright. Dip and roll each pear in maple syrup to coat completely, reserving remaining syrup. Transfer pears as coated to a 9 inch square baking pan, standing them upright.
• Sprinkle pears with 2 tbsps. of the white sugar, holding by stems and tilting to coat sides. Stir lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of the Calvados and butter into the reserved syrup and pour around pears in pan.
• Bake pears, uncovered, in the middle of the oven until the undersides are tender when pierced with a knife, about 30 minutes.
• Beat cream with the remaining tbsps. of sugar and Calvados with an electric mixer until it holds soft peaks.
• Divide pears and syrup among 6 plates and serve warm, with the whipped cream on the side.