Pears with Cinnamon Butterscotch Sauce

Pears with Cinnamon Butterscotch Sauce
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cans (15 ounces each) pear halves packed in fruit juice
Cinnamon sticks and fresh mint leaves for garnish, if desired
1. In a 4-cup glass measure, combine the butter, brown sugar, cream, corn syrup and cinnamon. Cover with microwave-safe plastic wrap and cut a small hole in the center of the wrap to vent. Microwave 2 minutes at high or until the mixture boils.
2. While the sauce mixture cooks, drain the pears and place them in a shallow, microwave-safe bowl, such as a pie plate, with the cored center of the fruit facing up. Set aside.
3. When the sauce has cooked, uncover it and stir well. Set aside. Microwave the pears, uncovered, at high, for 1 minute to warm through. Remove from the oven, uncover and drizzle the sauce evenly over the pears, pooling the sauce in the cored center of the fruit. Garnish with cinnamon sticks and mint leaves, if desired. Serve at once.
Serves four.
Nutrition values per serving: 300 calories (49 percent from fat), 17 g fat (11 g saturated), 39 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 1 g protein, 51 mg cholesterol, 141 mg sodium.