Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  4             pounds  very ripe williams or comice pears -- peeled and cored
  2        tablespoons  sugar
  1                cup  water
  2                     vanilla beans -- split lengthwise
  5             ounces  grappa -- or poire williams
                        eau-de-vie
  2                     lemons -- juice of

Preparation:

Combine the sugar and water in a nonreactive saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean, and add it and the pods to the water. Add the pears, bring to a simmer, and cook until soft, about 15 minutes. Remove pears and pur‚e. Add the grappa or eau-de-vie and lemon juice to the poaching liquid, then stir in the pear pur‚e. Let cool. Freeze in an ice cream maker, or in a metal container for a granita texture.

Nutritional Information:

120 Calories (kcal); trace Total Fat; (1% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 37g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 11mg Sodium