1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place the butter in a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Place pan in oven for 2 minutes to melt butter. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle 1/2 cup of the sugar evenly in the pan. Scatter allspice berries over the sugar if desired. Place pear halves cut side down on top of sugar, then sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup sugar over pears.

2. Bake until pears are almost tender when pierced with a small sharp knife, and butter and sugar have melted together to form a bubbling sauce, about 30 minutes. Remove pan from oven and carefully turn pears over, cut side up; return to oven and bake 15 minutes more; pears should be just tender and the sauce should be a light caramel color. Let cool on the pan for 10 minutes.

3. Arrange 2 pear halves and some of the caramel sauce on 6 dessert plates. Top pears with a dollop of creme fraiche. Drizzle with a little more caramel sauce. If desired, top with grated chocolate. Serve immediately.

Source: Hannaford fresh Magazine, January - February 2015