Poire Belle Hélène {Poached Pears with Chocolate}
User Reviews
5
Poire Belle Hélène {Poached Pears with Chocolate}
Description
This classic dessert involves gently poaching peeled pears in a mixture of white wine, water, and sugar until just tender, ensuring the fruit maintains its shape without becoming mushy. After cooling, the pears are paired with a smooth chocolate sauce prepared by melting bittersweet chocolate with butter, sugar, cream, hot water, vanilla, and a pinch of salt over low heat until silky.
The sauce is poured generously over the pears, typically served alongside vanilla ice cream, which provides a creamy contrast to the rich chocolate and poached fruit. The dish balances acidity from the wine and fruit with sweetness and bitterness from the chocolate.
This dessert works well for special occasions or when a refined, fruit-forward chocolate dessert is desired. Leftover chocolate sauce can be refrigerated for up to a week, ready to be reheated or used in other desserts.
Ingredients
For the poached pears:
- 1 bottle white wine Riesling, Prosecco, or other sparkling wine, sweet
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 4 pear such as Bosc or Bartlett, firm
For the dark chocolate sauce:
- 8 oz bittersweet chocolate chopped (or dark)
- 7 Tbsp butter softened, unsalted
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup water hot
- 1 tsp vanilla
- salt pinch
Instructions
- Peel pears up to the stem and core from the bottom.
- Bring water, wine, and sugar to a boil in a large dutch oven or saucepan.
- Add pears and reduce heat to low.
- Cover and simmer for about 10-12 minutes or until pears are tender, but not too soft. Let sit in the poaching liquid until cool, about 30 minutes.
- Remove pears and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Meanwhile, combine the chocolate, butter, sugar, cream, and hot water in the top of a double boiler.
- Simmer on a medium low heat and stir until chocolate is smooth, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add the vanilla and a pinch of salt. Stir well.
- Put a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream and one poached pear in a dish. Drizzle liberally with chocolate sauce and serve immediately.
Notes
- Keep the poached pears refrigerated until serving to maintain their texture and freshness.
- Chocolate sauce can be stored in a covered container in the fridge for up to one week.
- The nutritional values for chocolate sauce account for the full bottle of wine used in poaching, which is discarded after cooking the pears.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 928 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1serving | |
| Calories | 928kcal | 46% |
| Carbohydrates | 122g | 41% |
| Protein | 6g | 12% |
| Fat | 49g | 75% |
| Saturated Fat | 36g | 180% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 87mg | 29% |
| Sodium | 77mg | 3% |
| Potassium | 602mg | 13% |
| Fiber | 8g | 32% |
| Sugar | 100g | 200% |
| Vitamin A | 1100IU | 22% |
| Vitamin C | 8mg | 9% |
| Calcium | 216mg | 22% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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