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1
Preheat oven to 400u00b0F.
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2
Use a melon baller to make a hole in the bottom of each pear, then dig deeper to scoop out core. Peel pears and cut a thin slice off the bottoms so they stand flat.
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3
Use the tip of a paring knife to split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, then run the back of the knife along each half to scrape out the vanilla seeds. Set the seeds and scraped pod aside.
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4
Melt butter in a large ovenproof frying pan over medium-high heat. Add sugar and the vanilla seeds and pod and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar melts and liquid is medium amber in color, about 5 minutes.
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5
Carefully add wine to pan, stirring until incorporated. Add pears, laying them on their sides, and cook, turning pears occasionally, until pears are almost tender, 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat.
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6
Be careful when adding the wine-the mixture will bubble and spurt, so add it a little at a time.
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7
Stand pears upright in the pot and add cranberries, nestling them into the liquid.
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8
Transfer the pan to the oven and bake pears on middle rack, basting occasionally and gently moving cranberries around, until pears are very tender when pierced with a paring knife and most of the cranberries have burst, 20-25 minutes.
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9
Check to see that pears and cranberries are done. Remove from oven or add time as needed.
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10
Cool pears in frying pan about 10 minutes, basting occasionally. Remove vanilla pods. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
