I love desserts that look and sound so fancy and intricate but that are, in reality, quite simple to throw together. It’s a great way to impress your family or dinner guests with a great looking after-dinner treat without causing undue stress.

This is a recipe for poached pears with a delicious, rich chocolate sauce. The recipe comes from our French chef, Ronald, who really needs to have his own cooking show one day! We just can’t get enough of his marvelous creations that he comes up with for our Market Day Cooking Class.

Enjoy this with a port, Sauternes, or late-harvest American Riesling.

Ingredients
400 grams chocolate
1 cup milk
8 pears (preferably “Williams”)
2 tbls cream
almonds (optional)
3 tbls butter

Directions
1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. The water level should be enough that the pears are submerged.
2. Peal the pears cleanly of ALL skin.
3. Add pears to the boiling water, cover, and cook for 30-40 minutes depending on the ripeness of the pears.
4. Once the pears are cooked through, remove them and place them in a bowl with some of the water from the pot.
5. Add the chocolate, butter, and milk plus a few tablespoons of the pear water to a sauce pan over medium heat while constantly stirring.
6. Once the chocolate is melted, add 2 tablespoons of cream. Reduce heat to med-low and constantly stir.
7. If desired, almonds can be roasted in a baking dish in an oven at 300F for 10 minutes.
8. Place a ladle-full of chocolate sauce on a plate and turn the plate until the entire plate is covered. Place your pear in the middle and garnish with almonds and/or seasonal red fruit.