Baked Pears with Marsala

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. With vegetable peeler or small knife, remove peel from lemon in 2 1/2" by 1/2" strips; squeeze juice from lemon.

With apple corer or small knife, remove cores from blossom end (bottom) of unpeeled pears but do not remove stems. With pastry brush, brush insides of pears with lemon juice, then sprinkle insides with 2 teaspoons sugar.

In shallow 1 1/2- to 2 quart ceramic or glass baking dish, mix lemon-peel strips, marsala, and water. Place 1/3 cup sugar on sheet of waxed paper. With pastry brush, brush pears with melted butter, then roll in sugar to coat. Place pears, bottoms down, in baking dish. Sprinkle any sugar remaining on waxed paper into baking dish.

Bake pears 40 to 50 minutes until fork-tender, basting occasionally with syrup in dish.

Cool pears slightly to serve warm. Or, cool completely; cover and refrigerate up to 1 day ahead. Reheat pears to serve warm later.