Pear Cobbler With Hazelnut Biscuits

Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and coarsely chopped hazelnuts in a large bowl. Using a pastry blender, a mixer with the flat beater attachment or your fingertips, work in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix in the cream and hazelnut liqueur to form a soft dough.

Knead for just 10 seconds, then lightly flour the dough and pat it out on a baking sheet in a 1-inch-thick layer. Cover with plastic wrap or wax paper and refrigerate for for 1 to 8 hours.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees, placing a rack in the middle position. Uncover the dough, and use a round cutter to cut out 2 1/4-inch biscuits. Pat the scraps together and re-cut to make a total of 8 biscuits. Arrange them at 2-inch intervals on a nonstick or parchment-lined baking sheet.

Brush a light coating of egg wash on the biscuits. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the finely chopped hazelnuts and one-half teaspoon sugar on each biscuit.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until slightly tanned and springy. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack to cool.

Pear Filling: Melt the butter in a large skillet over high heat. Stir in the brown sugar. Add the pears and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes.

Carefully add the Marsala, standing away from the pan, as the mixture may start to flame. After 2 minutes, any flames should subside. Add the cream and cook for 3 more minutes to thicken.

Top with the biscuits and serve immediately.

This recipe yields 8 servings.

Each serving: 649 calories ; 6 grams protein; 76 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams fiber; 34 grams fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 83 mg. cholesterol; 276 mg. sodium.