Pear Puree and Spiced Pear Punch

My father bought me a case of Royal Riviera pears for Hannukah.  Well, lucky for me, Harry and David made a mistake and and shipped my gift twice.  That meant twice as many absolutely delicious pears, but it was more than the wife and I could finish.  So, in need of a project, I opened up the November/December 2010 issue of Imbibe and made the pear puree and a modified spiced pear punch.

For the puree:
Peel, halve and core 5 pears (I used a mix of red anjou and Royal Riviera), and place in a small roasting pan. 
Add 8 star anise,
12 cloves,
6 cinnamon sticks,
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped,
4 tbsp sugar,
1/4 c. apple brandy, and
1/4 c. rhum agricole. 
Roast 30 minutes at 350. 
Remove spices and puree.

For the punch (modified for a single serving and to suit what I had at home):
Shake and strain-
1 shot Laird's 7 1/2 year apple brandy
1 shot Bokma genever
1/2 shot Amaretto di Amore
1 shot Yogev Cab/Zin Rose
1 shot pear puree
1/2 shot lemon juice

Punch was very good - apple brandy and genever mix surprisingly well.  Original calls for prosecco, which probably would have been better.

Another use to consider: pear bellini.