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For the poached pears
4 large conference pears
Lemon and/or orange zest
1 vanilla pod or a splash of vanilla essence
200g golden caster sugar
1 cinnamon stick
600ml white wine
600ml cold water
For the chocolate mousse
150g dark cooking chocolate
Sea salt
4 large eggs
50g caster sugar
150ml double cream
Amaretto (optional)
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
For serving
Cocoa powder
Almond thins or
Croquants du Cordes
To make the poached pears
- Peel the pears, leaving the stalks intact .
- Place the pears in a medium-sized saucepan with the remaining ingredients, then bring to the boil.
- Lower the heat, then poach the pears for about 20-25 minutes until they are cooked. To check is the pear is cooked, pierce with a sharp knife. It should slide in and out easily when it's ready.
- Remove the pears and cover with a little of the cooking liquid.
- Bring the remaining cooking liquid to the boil and reduce by about half. Cool.
To make the chocolate mousse
Note that you require 3 cooking/mixing bowls for this recipe, with the one used for the eggs and sugar to be the largest bowl.
- Separate the eggs, placing the yolks in the largest bowl and the egg whites in another medium/large sized bowl.
- Add the sugar to the yolks and beat until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is smooth.
- Break or cut up the chocolate into small pieces and place in a heatproof bowl.
- Place the bowl over a pan of boiling water (bain marie) and stir until the chocolate has melted.
- Remove from the heat.
- Add 35ml of Amaretto (if using) and the cocoa powder to the egg and sugar mix and stir well to combine.
- Whisk the eggs with a pinch of sea salt until they form soft peaks.
- Whisk the cream until just whipped.
- Stir the melted chocolate into the egg and sugar mixture, until well-combined.
- Now fold the cream into the mix, before finally folding through the whipped egg whites. Noe, it may look a bit disastrous for a while, but it will come together!
To assemble the individual desserts
- Cut the pears in half.