Mmm... baked pears sounds amazing!
I've also had really good wine-poached pears. Lemme see if I can find a recipe.
I'm sure these are malleable, and I've seen it done in a slow cooker if that suits your fancy and saves a burner.
POACHED PEARS IN RED WINE
1 750-ml bottle dry red wine
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
6 2x1-inch strips lemon peel (yellow part only)
1 1/2 teaspoons aniseed
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
6 firm but ripe Bosc pears
1 1/2 cups nonfat vanilla frozen yogurt
Preparation
Combine first 5 ingredients in heavy large pot. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Peel, halve and core pears. Add pears, rounded side down, to cooking liquid. Return cooking liquid to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until pears are tender, basting occasionally with cooking liquid if necessary, about 25 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pears to bowl.
Strain cooking liquid; discard solids. Return cooking liquid to pot. Boil until reduced to 1 cup, about 12 minutes. Pour syrup over pears. Chill until pears are cold, at least 3 hours or overnight. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
Scoop frozen yogurt onto plates. Place pears on plates. Spoon sauce over pears.
PEARS POACHED IN PORT WITH CRANBERRIES
(good for Thanksgiving season!)
8 whole allspice
1 tablespoon pink peppercorns
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick
1 (4- by 1-inch) strip of zest from a navel orange, removed with a vegetable peeler
3 cups cranberry juice cocktail
2 cups Tawny Port
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup sugar
4 firm-ripe Bosc or Anjou pears with stems
Special equipment: an 8-inch square of cheesecloth
Preparation
Tie allspice and peppercorns in a cheesecloth bag with kitchen string. Put bag in a large saucepan with remaining ingredients except pears and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes.
Peel pears, leaving stems intact, and arrange on sides in poaching liquid. Simmer, uncovered, gently turning from time to time, until tender, 20 to 40 minutes depending on ripeness.
Discard cheesecloth bag and carefully transfer pears with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Boil poaching liquid until reduced to about 1 1/2 cups, about 10 minutes. Discard ginger, cinnamon stick, and zest. Serve pears warm or at room temperature with syrup..