Method

• Peel and halve the pears, leaving the stem intact on one half
• Set aside in acidulated water
• To make the caramel, place the sugar, water, and vanilla bean seeds in a shallow and wide saucepan
• Add the cream of tartar or lemon juice and stir together
• Heat the mixture over medium heat, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the syrup begins to bubble
• Remove the lid, increase the heat slightly and allow the syrup to boil undisturbed until it turns golden in colour
• Add the butter and swirl until combined and colour is uniform
• Carefully place the pear halves in the caramel, cut side down
• Cook over medium heat, occasionally basting the pears with caramel, until the sauce begins to attach itself to the pears and give them colour, about 15 minutes
• Carefully transfer the pear halves to a small tray lined with foil or grease-proof paper and drizzle with the remaining caramel sauce
• Cool at room temperature
• Preheat the oven to 180C
• While the pears are cooling, make the hazelnut butter
• Spread the hazelnuts onto a small tray and toast the nuts until they are lightly golden and aromatic, about 8 minutes
• Cool completely, set aside ¼ cup and transfer the remaining ½ cup hazelnuts to a blender or food processor
• Add the olive oil, sugar, and salt and blend briefly on low speed
• Gradually increase the speed until a smooth paste forms, adding water a tablespoon at a time to achieve the right consistency, slightly looser than peanut butter (the hazelnut butter should coat the back of a spoon)
• To serve, lightly crush the reserved hazelnuts with a rolling pin, try to keep them coarse
• Drain excess caramel from the pear halves, coat them with hazelnut butter and roll in the crushed nuts
• Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or lightly whipped cream