Desserts: Cold Desserts: Chocolate-Glazed Pears

Elegant, picture perfect, yet simple to make chocolate covered fruit.

Author: USA Pears/Pear Bureau Northwest
Date: November 21, 2007

Suggestions: For best results, select fresh, unbruised, slightly ripened (not over ripened) fruit with stems. Pears ripen from the inside out, so it is important to test for ripeness near the neck.

Serves: 6 person(s)
Yield: 6 x 1 pear servings

Preparation Time: 30 mins
Cooking Time: 10 mins
Extra Time: 20 mins (for cooling and setting)

Ingredients:

3 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 lemon peel twist (2-inch)
6 USA Bosc pears
171.43 g semi-sweet baking chocolate
2 Tbsp shortening

Directions:

Combine water, sugar and lemon twist in a saucepan; bring to a boil.

Pare pears and trim slightly to level bottom; core pears, leaving stem intact. Add pears to poaching liquid; reduce heat. Cover and simmer gently about 8 to 10 minutes or until tender when pierced with tip of sharp knife; turn and baste occasionally.

Remove pears from liquid; stand on flat dish. Cool. Melt chocolate and shortening over very low heat. Dry pears completely with paper towels. Holding each pear carefully by the stem, spoon or drip chocolate mixture over pear to coat. Let stand in cool place to set chocolate. Arrange pears on serving dish.

Variations:

For a casual, last-minute dish, heat store-bought chocolate, thick chocolate sauce, butterscotch or caramel sauce and drizzle it on a beautifully sliced and plated pear.

Serving suggestions are not included in the nutritional analysis.