Cherry-Crowned Almond Pear Gems
Miniature dessert bites topped with maraschino cherries are a colorful tough for a holiday buffet.
Ingredients
- ¾ sugar
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- ¾ cup flour
- 1 15¼-ounce can Bartlett pears in heavy syrup, well drained, finely chopped and patted dry*
- ⅓ cup almonds, sliced
- sugar
- 1 6-ounce jar maraschino cherries, well drained and patted dry* (or 24)
- almonds, sliced, for garnish (optional)
Directions
- In mixing bowl, stir together ¾ cup sugar, butter, egg and almond extract. Stir in flour until well-combined. Fold pears and ⅓ cup almonds into batter. Spoon about 1 tablespoon batter into each of 24 paper-lined miniature muffin cups. Sprinkle with sugar. Place a maraschino cherry on top of each. Bake at 375°F for 25-27 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Garnish with sliced almond, if desired.
*Use paper towels to pat excess moisture from pears and cherries.