Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Butter a pie dish.
Add ¼ cup of butter to a saucepan over medium heat. When butter begins to froth, add the next 7 ingredients and whisk together. Simmer sauce for 10 minutes to reduce, stir frequently.
Wash and cut pears, lengthwise into quarters, (I like the texture of the skins on the pears, and the skins are also full of nutrients, but you can peel them if you prefer.)
Remove the pear cores, and slice each quarter into four slices, lengthwise. Put slices into the pie dish, pour the sauce over the slices, and toss well to coat.
Bake uncovered for 1 hour, stirring the slices every 15 minutes.