Thumb print cookies

You will need 1½ c flour, ¼ tsp salt, 2/3 c butter,1/3 c sugar, 2 egg yolks, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 slightly beaten egg whites, ¾ c chopped walnuts (optional)and 1/3 cup pear butter.

Stir together flour and salt.

Beat butter for 30 secs; add sugar and beat until fluffy.

Add egg yolks and vanilla; beat well.

Add dry ingredients to beaten mixture, beating till well blended.

Cover and chill one hour.

Shape into 1in balls.

Roll in egg whites, then roll in finely chopped walnuts (if desired).

Place 1 in apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Press centers down w/ thumb and bake 15 to 17 mins at 350°.

Cool on a wire rack.

Just before serving, fill in centers with pear butter.   

Baked Potatoes with Pear Butter

Wash 4 baking potatoes (can substitute sweet potatoes or yams).

Cut off the top of each potato.

Place a spoon full of pear butter on each potato - enough to cover the top.

Place in an over proof baking dish.

Bake at 375° for one hour or until done.   

Holiday Ham with Pear Butter

1 fully cooked bone-in ham (ready to eat).

Trim off excess fat and score top half of ham.

Cut shallow even slits into top half diagonally, then repeat the process in the opposite direction to form diamond shapes.

Insert whole cloves into intersecting points of scoring.

Insert meat termometer into thickest part being carefully not to touch bone.

Bake at 325 for 15-20 min. per pound or til thermometer reaches 140.

30 -45 minuites before done, pull out of oven and coat top half of ham with pear butter.

Once done pull ham out and let it rest for 15min. before carving.

Heat additional pear butter up in microwave and serve as side with your holiday ham.    

Buttermilk Pancakes w/ Pear Butter

1¼ cups of flour, 2 Tbl. Regular sugar, 1 tsp. baking powder, ½ tsp. Baking soda, 1 Tbl of cooking oil, 1 beaten egg, 11/3 cups of butter milk, ¼ cup of pear butter.

Add all dry goods together into the same bowl and mix. In separate bowl combine Pear butter, egg, oil, and buttermilk.

Pour dry mixture slowly into buttermilk mixture. Stir with spoon. Once blended pour batter onto a nonstick griddle or pan. Be sure pan is hot enough.   

Other Great Pear Butter Ideas

Nothing compares to warm toast with peanut butter and pear butter.

Stir pear butter into plain yogurt for a healthy low fat snack (with lowfat yogurt).