Chocolate Pear Pouches Recipes

RED WINE POACHED PEARS WITH CHOCOLATE FILLING

Steps:

• Cut bottom off each pear and core from the bottom to give each pear a flat bottom to stand upright.
• Combine wine, water, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and star anise in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and arrange pears on their sides in the saucepan. Simmer pears for 10 to 12 minutes. Turn pears and continue simmering until tender and easily poked with a fork, 8 to 10 minutes. Work in batches if needed.
• Remove pears from wine mixture and place in a serving dish, standing upright. Continue boiling wine sauce until reduced to about 3/4 cup, 5 to 10 more minutes.
• Fill each pear's core cavity with chocolate sauce. Pour wine sauce over each pear.

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED PEARS

Steps:

• Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water, stirring until smooth. Let cool slightly.
• Starting at bottom of each pear, use a teaspoon to remove core, leaving stem at top intact. Dip bottom three-quarters of each pear in chocolate. Transfer to a parchment-lined plate, and refrigerate until chocolate has set, at least 15 minutes (and up to 2 hours). Bring to room temperature before serving.

PEARS COVERED WITH CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together the water and sugar. Bring to a boil. Add the pears, and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove pears and set them on a plate.
• In a metal bowl over simmering water, or in the microwave, melt chocolate, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from heat. Spoon chocolate over pears to coat. Remove pears to a clean plate, and chill until serving. Serve cold.

POACHED PEARS WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Core pears from bottom, leaving stems intact. Peel pears. Cut 1/4 in. from bottom to level if necessary. Place in a large saucepan; add the water, vanilla, cinnamon stick and nutmeg. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 35-40 minutes or until pears are almost tender., Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and cinnamon. Gradually whisk in milk until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Cool. , Drain pears; place on dessert plates. Drizzle with chocolate sauce.

POACHED PEARS WITH DARK CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Bring ginger, honey, and water to a boil over high heat in a medium pot. Reduce heat to medium and let simmer 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, peel pears and halve lengthwise. Use a melon baller to scoop out cores. Gently lower pears into pot. Cover surface with a round of parchment paper.
• Cook pears until a paring knife slides easily into them, about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on ripeness. Remove with a wooden spoon and transfer to a bowl. Pour poaching liquid over. Serve warm or chilled.
• To serve, place pear halves in a bowl and drizzle with melted chocolate.

CHOCOLATE PEAR CRISP

Steps:

• If you're going to cook this immediately, preheat the oven to 160C/ gas 3 while you cook the pears on the hob. Otherwise you can leave the preheating until you're ready to cook the topping.(e.g. I made my pear filling ahead of time, so heated the oven while I made the topping).
• Peel (if desired), core and chop pears into small chunks.
• Place in a saucepan with lemon juice and sugar. Bring to the boil, then cover and cook for 10 minutes. Uncover and cook for a further 8-10 minutes to allow the liquids to thicken up.
• Divide between 4 ramekins, and if using, top with the liqueur.
• Sift the icing sugar and cocoa together, then stir in the ground almonds.
• Whisk the egg white until stiff, then fold into the dry ingredients. (It also works the other way round -- so don't worry).
• When the cocoa sugar almond mixture is combined with the egg white, it should be a stiff dropping consistency. Top the pear filled ramekins with it, it will spread and puff during cooking so it doesn't have to reach the edges or be enormously neat.
• Bake in the oven at 160 C/gas 3 until the topping is firm to the touch - 20-25 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

POACHED PEARS WITH CHOCOLATE-PEAR SAUCE

Steps:

• Stir pear nectar, white wine and sugar in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves and syrup comes to boil. Add pears to syrup in saucepan. Cover pan, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until pears are tender, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pears to plate. Increase heat to medium-high and boil poaching liquid until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 8 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Add chocolate; whisk until chocolate melts and sauce is smooth.
• Place 1 warm pear half, cut side up, on each plate. Top with vanilla ice cream and warm chocolate sauce. Or cover pears and chocolate sauce separately and refrigerate up to 2 days; then serve pears cold with ice cream and sauce, rewarming sauce, if desired.