Pears And Dried Cherries With Chocolate Sauce Recipes

DRIED FRUIT WITH CHOCOLATE DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the cocoa, sugar, and 2 tablespoons of water, and stir until smooth.
• In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the milk and cocoa mixture and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, about 1 to 2 minutes. Pour into a serving bowl and pass with the dried fruit.

CHOCOLATE COVERED DRIED CHERRIES

Steps:

• Place the dried cherries in a coating pan attached to a stand mixer. Spin at low speed. Using a ladle, add the chocolate to the spinning cherries. Add one ladleful at a time until the cherries are coated to the desired thickness. (Use a 50/50 ratio (50 percent chocolate, 50 percent weight of the cherries.) If a thicker coat is desired, use more chocolate and vice versa.
• How to Temper Chocolate(From Dessert Circus, Extraordinary Desserts You Can Make At Home by Jacques Torres):
• Chocolate is tempered so that after it has been melted, it retains its gloss and hardens again without becoming chalky and white (that happens when the molecules of fat separate and form on top of the chocolate). There are a variety of ways to temper.
• One of the easiest ways to temper chocolate is to chop it into small pieces and then place it in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time on high power until most of the chocolate is melted. Be very careful not to overheat it. (The temperature of dark chocolate should be between 88 and 90 degrees F, slightly warmer than your bottom lip. It will retain its shape even when mostly melted. White and milk chocolates melt at a temperature approximately 2 degrees F less because of the amount of lactose they contain.) Any remaining lumps will melt in the chocolate's residual heat. Use an immersion blender or whisk to break up the lumps. Usually, chocolate begins to set, or crystallize, along the side of the bowl. As it sets, mix those crystals into the melted chocolate to temper it. A glass bowl retains heat well and keeps the chocolate tempered longer.
• Another way to temper chocolate is called seeding. In this method, add small pieces of unmelted chocolate to melted chocolate. The amount of unmelted chocolate to be added depends on the temperature of the melted chocolate, but is usually 1/4 of the total amount. It is easiest to use an immersion blender for this, or a whisk.
• The classic way to temper chocolate is called tabliering. Two thirds of the melted chocolate is poured onto a marble or another cold work surface. The chocolate is spread out and worked with a spatula until its temperature is approximately 81 degrees F. At this stage, it is thick and begins to set. This tempered chocolate is then added to the remaining non-tempered chocolate and mixed thoroughly until the mass has a completely uniform temperature. If the temperature is still too high, part of the chocolate is worked further on the cold surface until the correct temperature is reached. This is a lot of work, requires a lot of room, and makes a big mess.
• A simple method of checking tempering, is to apply a small quantity of chocolate to a piece of paper or to the point of a knife. If the chocolate has been correctly tempered, it will harden evenly and show a good gloss within a few minutes.

PEARS WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Peel the pears, leaving the stalks intact, then take the core out from the bottom of each by using a small sharp knife or a melon baller. Flatten the bottom by slicing off a little bit so that it will sit upright when served. Put the pears into a saucepan with the zests, vanilla pod, sugar, cinnamon, white wine and 600ml water, then bring to the boil. Lower the heat and poach for about 20-25 mins until they are cooked all the way through, but are not so soft that they will fall apart. Leave to cool in the liquid. Can be made and chilled a day ahead.
• When cool, take the pears out, strain out the cinnamon, zest and vanilla pod (keep the pod, allow it to dry, then pop it into a jar of sugar to make vanilla sugar), then pour the syrup back in the pan. Boil until reduced by half to a thin syrup.
• Meanwhile, to make the sauce, melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Warm the cream, milk and butter in a heavy based pan. Stir this into the melted chocolate, set aside and keep warm. Can be made and chilled a day ahead. If the sauce cools and thickens too much, warm it again gently over a pan of simmering water or for 30 secs in a microwave. Serve the pears with plenty of syrup, chocolate sauce and good-quality vanilla ice cream.

PEAR CONSERVE WITH CHERRIES AND HAZELNUTS

Steps:

• Peel, core, and cut pears into 1/2 inch cubes. There should be about 4 cups of fruit.
• Combine pears, dried cherries, vinegar, sugar, ginger, pepper, and salt in a heavy large saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat, and cool to room temperature. Cover, and refrigerate overnight. Can be prepared 4 days ahead.
• Toast hazelnuts at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) on an ungreased baking sheet for 5 to 8 minutes. Husk the nuts, and chop coarsely. Stir into pear conserve. Serve at room temperature.

PEARS IN CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Leave stems on peeled pears. Sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent browning. Set aside.
• In a saucepan large enough to accommodate 4 pears standing upright, combine water and sugar. Place over medium heat, and boil until sugar is dissolved. Stir in vanilla, then place the pears in. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to cool in liquid, then drain.
• In the top of a double boiler, combine chocolate, cream and butter. Heat, stirring, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat, and stir in coffee liqueur.
• Place pears on serving dish, pour chocolate sauce over pears, and garnish with maraschino cherries.

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 PEAR AND DRIED APRICOTS WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan combine the sugar, the rum, and 1/2 cup water and simmer the mixture for 2 minutes. Add the pear, peeled, halved, and cored, and the apricots and poach the fruit, covered, spooning the syrup over the pear occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the pear is tender. In a small heavy saucepan combine the chocolate, 2 tablespoons water, and the vanilla and heat the mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, until it is smooth. Transfer the pear halves to a work surface, cut them diagonally, into 1/4-inch-thick slices, and fan them onto 2 plates. Sprinkle the apricots over the pear slices and spoon the chocolate sauce around the fruit.

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED CHERRIES

Steps:

• Finely chop 1/2 pound dark chocolate. Combine three-quarters of the chocolate and 1 teaspoon coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until the chocolate is melted; stir in the remaining chocolate until smooth. Dip 1 pound fresh cherries in the chocolate by the stems and set on parchment paper. Let harden at room temperature.

CINNAMON-ROASTED PEARS WITH DRIED CHERRIES AND CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Put cherries in small bowl.
• Heat orange liqueur almost to boiling.
• Pour hot liqueur over cherries.
• Set aside until liquid is absorbed.
• In a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter.
• Stir in cinnamon.
• Arrange pears in an ungreased 13-inch x 9-inch baking dish, cut-side-up.
• Brush pears with some of the cinnamon butter.
• Spoon some softened cherries into each pear half.
• Bake pears, uncovered, 30 to 35 minutes, or until fork-tender, brushing occasionally with cinnamon butter.
• (Can be made up to 1 day ahead to this point if covered and refrigerated,before serving, bake at 325°F 15 minutes, or until heated through).
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugars, corn syrup, cream, and salt.
• Heat to boiling, reduce heat to low, and cook until mixture reaches 238°F* on a candy thermometer or until it forms a soft ball when a small amount is dropped into cold water.
• (Can be made up to 1 week ahead to this point if covered and refrigerated, warm over low heat before serving).
• To serve, spoon some warm caramel sauce onto a small plate.
• Arrange 2 pear halves on top of sauce and drizzle with a bit more sauce.

PEAR CRISPS WITH DRIED SOUR CHERRIES

Steps:

• 1. In a small saucepan, combine the cherries with enough water or wine (or a combination) to cover them by 2 inches. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, then turn off the heat and let cool. Let the cherries soak overnight in the refrigerator, or for at least 8 hours, until they are plump and soft. Drain the cherries, reserving the juices.
• 2. In a large bowl, combine the pears, drained cherries, and 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar and toss well. Mix in 1/2 of the cherry soaking liquid, or whatever cherry soaking liquid is left plus enough water to make 1/2 cup. Let the mixture stand for 30 minutes.
• 3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, the flour, almonds, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Slowly drizzle in the butter and stir with a fork until the mixture is crumbly and all the flour is incorporated. Do not allow the mixture to come together in a ball. Break up any large crumbs with your fingers. The crumbs should be smaller than 1 inch in size (otherwise they won't cook all the way through).
• 4. Spoon the fruit into eight 8-ounce ramekins and place them on a baking sheet. Evenly sprinkle the crumbs on top of the fruit. Bake the crisps until the filling is bubbling and the topping is browned, about 40 minutes. Serve hot or warm.

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH DRIED CHERRIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a nine-inch tube pan.
• Sift together the flour, cocoa and baking soda and set aside. Place the cherries in a dish, stir in the cherry liqueur and set aside.
• Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until smooth. Stir in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, mixing only enough to combine the ingredients.
• Add the almond extract to the cherry mixture, then fold this mixture into the batter.
• Spread the batter into the pan and bake for 45 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes in the pan, then remove from the pan and continue to cool on a rack.