Pears Catherine

Melt 4 cups sugar in 4 1/2 cups sugar. Boil, strain, add vanila extract and pass through a muslin cloth. Pour the syrup into a clean pot, add the pears and steam until soft (but not too soft). Puree the berries in a bowl. If canned, discard part of the juice. Add the rest of the sugar and mix with the berries. Add also the liquer. To serve: Take the pears out of the syrup, pour some of the berry puree over each pear and straw on top with the almonds.