Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour

Juicy Anjou pears dress up for the best part of the party. They are widely available at Christmastime and are great for baking; you can also use Bosc, if you?d like.

4 Anjou pears, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cored
1?8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon trans-fat-free margarine, cut into 8 pieces
1?3 cup water
½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fat-free half-and-half
½ cup pomegranate seeds

Heat oven to 350°F. Sprinkle pears with cinnamon and place, cut side up, in a baking dish. Place 1 piece of margarine in the core cavity of each pear. Add water to dish and bake pears until tender, about 1 hour, basting with water once halfway through. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Slice each pear lengthwise into thin slices and fan out on dessert plates.Heat chocolate and half-and-half in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until melted and well combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a large spoon, drizzle chocolate sauce decoratively over pear slices. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and serve.

Makes 8 servings

NUTRITION AT A GLANCE
Per serving: 120 calories, 4 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 1 g protein, 24 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 20 mg sodium

MAKE-AHEAD: Pomegranate can be seeded up to 3 days in advance and the seeds refrigerated in a covered container until ready to use. Pears can be baked 1 day in advance and refrigerated in a covered container. When ready to serve, heat pears in a 325°F oven until warmed through.

TIP To avoid pomegranate stains: When seeding a pomegranate, submerge the scored fruit in a large bowl of cold water and then gently pull the sections apart. The seeds will sink to the bottom, the membranes will float to the top, and your hands and clothes will remain clean.