Perry is a cider made from pears (although if you can't find it easily, feel free to substitute with regular cider) and will amplify the flavour of the poached pears.
If you want to go even further, serve it with some custard, or a crushed up shortbread biscuit on top for some added texture.
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Yields:
8 serving(s)
Prep Time:
15 mins
Cook Time:
1 hr
Total Time:
1 hr 15 mins
Cal/Serv:
224
Ingredients
125 g granulated sugar
8 firm pears
500 ml Perry (like cider, but made with pears instead of apples)
1 vanilla pod, split
50 g light muscovado sugar
50 g butter
50 g plain chocolate
125 ml double cream
Directions
Step 1
Put the granulated sugar into a pan with 300ml water. Place over a low heat. Once sugar has dissolved, bring to boil for 2min.
Step 2
Slice a small piece off the bottom of each pear so it sits upright. Peel, leaving the stalks intact. Add pears to the sugar syrup, then add the perry and vanilla pod. Bring to just under the boil, then simmer for 45min-1hr, turning pears in the liquid to avoid browning. Pierce with a knife to check they're tender. Transfer pears and liquor to a bowl to cool.
Step 3
Put the remaining ingredients into a small pan and melt gently over a low heat. Stir a couple of times until glossy.
Step 4
Sit a pear on each dessert plate (discard the liqueur) and pour 1tbsp hot chocolate sauce over each. Serve the rest of the sauce separately in a jug.
The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time
