This feels fancy but is completely old-school. Warm, soft, and comforting

For a little crunch, tuck a teaspoon of chopped walnuts or pecans into the hollow of each pear before baking; this was something my aunt often did when she had a handful of nuts left from holiday baking. If you like a deeper, almost caramel flavor, swap the brown sugar for maple syrup and drizzle it over the pears along with the butter mixture. A pinch of ground nutmeg or ginger can join the cinnamon for a spicier, more old-fashioned flavor—especially nice in late fall. If you’re cooking for someone who avoids dairy, use coconut oil instead of butter; it gives the pears a gentle, almost tropical aroma while still feeling right at home next to a Midwestern roast. For a slightly fancier presentation, bake the pears as directed and then serve them over a spoonful of plain Greek yogurt or vanilla custard, letting the warm juices mingle with the cool, creamy base. And if your pears are very sweet to begin with, you can cut the sugar back by a tablespoon and rely more on their natural sweetness, just like we used to do in leaner years when sugar was something you stretched carefully.