Chocolate Pear Jalousie Food

CHOCOLATE PEAR CRISP

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Chop the pears into small pieces and put in a pan with the lemon juice and sugar. Bring to the boil, then cover and cook for 10 mins. Uncover, then cook for 8-10 mins more until the juices thicken up. Spoon into 4 x 150ml ramekins and add a teaspoon of liqueur to each, if using.
• For the topping, sift the icing sugar and cocoa into a bowl, then stir in the almonds. Whisk the egg white until stiff, then fold into the dry ingredients. Spoon over the pears and shake the ramekins to level the mixture. Bake for 20-25 mins until the topping is firm to the touch. Serve warm or cold.

PEARS IN CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Leave stems on peeled pears. Sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent browning. Set aside.
• In a saucepan large enough to accommodate 4 pears standing upright, combine water and sugar. Place over medium heat, and boil until sugar is dissolved. Stir in vanilla, then place the pears in. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to cool in liquid, then drain.
• In the top of a double boiler, combine chocolate, cream and butter. Heat, stirring, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat, and stir in coffee liqueur.
• Place pears on serving dish, pour chocolate sauce over pears, and garnish with maraschino cherries.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE & PEAR CAKE

Steps:

• Cut a circle of baking parchment to fit the base of a 25cm loose-bottomed tin. Melt 1 tbsp butter and brush the inside of the tin, then line the base with the parchment and brush again with more butter. Spoon in 2 tbsp caster sugar, swirl it around to coat the base and sides, then tip out any excess.
• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of hot water, remove from the heat, stir in the brandy and leave to cool. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar in a large bowl until pale and thick; fold into the chocolate with the hazelnuts.
• In a separate bowl, with a clean whisk, beat the whites until they reach a soft peak (try not to whisk them too stiffly or you'll have trouble folding them in). Stir a spoonful of the whites into the chocolate mix, then carefully fold in the rest of them in 2 additions. Spoon into the prepared tin. Level, then arrange the pears over the mixture, cut-side down. Bake for 40 mins until the pears are soft and the cake is cooked all the way through. Leave to cool in the tin slightly before releasing it, then place on a rack to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar and serve with crème fraîche.

CHOCOLATE PEAR PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and grease an 8 1/2-inch square ovenproof dish with butter.
• Drain the pears and arrange them on the base of the prepared dish. Put all the remaining ingredients in a processor and blitz until you have a batter with a soft dropping consistency.
• Spread the brown batter over the pears, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Let stand for 5 or 10 minutes and then cut into slabs - I cut 2 down and 2 across to make nine slices - and serve with chocolate sauce.

CHOCOLATE PEAR CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Grease a 1 lb. loaf pan with some butter, then set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until they're a bit paler in color.
• Add the granulated sugar to the eggs, and whisk to combine. Add in the softened butter and whisk until it's incorporated.
• Pour in the melted chocolate, whisking until it's blended in. Follow with the all-purpose flour, then salt. Whisk everything until it's relatively smooth.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the batter out so it's evenly distributed. Gently submerge 5 or 6 pear halves into the batter in a single file, alternating between the ones that have stems and the ones that don't.
• Bake the cake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean and the batter around the surface of the pears is no longer wet and bubbly. It should all look pretty set. Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 1 hour. To remove, run a sharp knife along the edges of the cake, then make 6-8 slices in the cake. Then, gently turn the pan onto it's side and use a sharp-edged spatula to slide underneath the cake slices (a couple slices at a time) and move them out of the pan. Transfer to your serving plate, turning the cake slices right-side up. Dust with powdered sugar.

BAKED PEARS WITH CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Cut pears in half and remove the core.
• Arrange pear halves, cut side up, in a 9 inch pie plate. Stir together lemon juice and vanilla, brush over pears.
• Bake, covered, for 30-35 minutes or until pears are tender.
• Uncover pears and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Spoon any liquid in the pie plate over pears. Serve warm.
• Prepare pears as above. Place in a microwave-safe pie plate.
• Cover with waxed paper. Cook on high 4-6 minutes or until pears are tender.

POACHED PEARS WITH CHOCOLATE-PEAR SAUCE

Steps:

• Stir pear nectar, white wine and sugar in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves and syrup comes to boil. Add pears to syrup in saucepan. Cover pan, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until pears are tender, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pears to plate. Increase heat to medium-high and boil poaching liquid until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 8 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Add chocolate; whisk until chocolate melts and sauce is smooth.
• Place 1 warm pear half, cut side up, on each plate. Top with vanilla ice cream and warm chocolate sauce. Or cover pears and chocolate sauce separately and refrigerate up to 2 days; then serve pears cold with ice cream and sauce, rewarming sauce, if desired.

CHOCOLATE PEAR CAKE

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 F (180 C). Grease and flour a 9 inch cake pan.
• In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• In a small bowl mix together the yogurt and milk until combined, set aside.
• Peel, core and slice the pears.
• In a large bowl beat on medium speed the eggs, vanilla and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Then slowly add the vegetable oil and beat to combine.
• Alternately add the dry ingredients with the yogurt mixture. Beat to combine, approximately one minute.
• Pour into the prepared pan, top with pear slices (sliced side down). Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool then dust with powdered / icing sugar before serving. Enjoy!

CHOCOLATE AND PEAR CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 160 deg C using the fan force option. Grease and line a 20cm springform baking tin and set aside.
• Using the double boiler method melt the chocolate and butter until well incorporated. Add the vanilla, stir and set aside.
• In a spare bowl combine the egg yolks and sugar and whisk until thick, pale and creamy. Set aside.
• In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff and set aside.
• To make the cake batter add the creamed sugar mixture, almond meal and sea salt to the melted chocolate combination and stir until combined. Finally, fold through the egg whites very gently, making sure they are well incorporated.
• Pour the batter into the baking tin and cook for 5 mins. Remove the cake and arrange the pears cut side down and bake for a further 40-45 mins or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 mins before removing the cake and allowing to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar and serve with double cream, creme fraiche or yoghurt.

CARAMEL APPLE JALOUSIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 F and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Toss the apples with the brown sugar, cinnamon and Skor bits and set aside. Place the puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured work surface and roll it (if needed) to a 10-inch square. Cut a rectangle that is 4-x-10-inches and place this on the prepared baking tray and brush it with egg wash. Cut a second rectangle that is 4 ½-x-10-inches and return it to the fridge to keep cold. Cut the remaining pastry dough into ½-inch strips. Place the strips on the base of the strudel, on its outside edges, trimming if needed and brushing with egg wash (this creates a frame to hold in the apple filling). Spoon the apples into the centre of this. Pull the top portion of the pastry from the fridge and make slits at ½-inch intervals. Place this over the apples, brush with egg wash and sprinkle with Turbinado sugar. Bake the jalousie for 10 minutes at 400 F and then reduce the oven temperature to 375 F and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, until it is a rich golden brown. Serve the jalousie warm or at room temperature.

CHOCOLATE-PEAR TEA BREAD

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°.
• Lightly butter a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.
• Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper or waxed paper.
• In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
• In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer set on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• One at a time, beat in the eggs, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Mix in the applesauce and vanilla.
• With the mixer on low, gradually beat in the flour mixture; mix just until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed.
• Fold in the pears and chocolate chips.
• Spread the batter in the prepared pan.
• Bake until a pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour.
• Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
• Invert the cake onto the rack and unmold.
• Remove the paper, turn the loaf right side up, and let cool completely.

CHOCOLATE & PEAR JALOUSIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to hot, 200°C, and lightly grease and line a baking tray.
• In a small bowl, using an electric beater, beat the butter and sugar together, until they are light and fluffy; add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each egg is added; gently stir in the hazelnut meal, melted chocolate and hazelnuts.
• Cut one sheet of pastry into a 22cm x 24cm; and, leaving a 2cm border around all sides, cut 6 even slits across the remaining pastry sheet.
• Place the trimmed pastry sheet on the prepared tray, spread with the chocolate mixture, leaving a 2cm border, top evenly with pear slices.
• Brush around the border with egg white and place the remaining pastry sheet over the filling, press the edges of the pastry together to seal; brush the jalousie with the remaining egg white and sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the jalousie is golden and serve hot, sliced, with whipped cream.
• NOTES: (1) If you cannot find hazelnut meal, make your own by processing 11/4 cups of hazelnuts until they are very finely chopped. (2) Melt chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in microwave oven, on medium, in 30-second bursts, stirring after each burst, until melted.

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED PEARS

Steps:

• Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water, stirring until smooth. Let cool slightly.
• Starting at bottom of each pear, use a teaspoon to remove core, leaving stem at top intact. Dip bottom three-quarters of each pear in chocolate. Transfer to a parchment-lined plate, and refrigerate until chocolate has set, at least 15 minutes (and up to 2 hours). Bring to room temperature before serving.

POACHED PEARS WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Core pears from bottom, leaving stems intact. Peel pears. Cut 1/4 in. from bottom to level if necessary. Place in a large saucepan; add the water, vanilla, cinnamon stick and nutmeg. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 35-40 minutes or until pears are almost tender., Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and cinnamon. Gradually whisk in milk until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Cool. , Drain pears; place on dessert plates. Drizzle with chocolate sauce.

CHOCOLATE PEAR CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Grease a 9×9 inch square pan or 9 inch round springform pan. If using a springform pan, line the bottom of the springform pan with a round piece of parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt - mix to combine.
• Melt the butter and dark chocolate in a small bowl, using a microwave, or on a stove top in a small pan over low heat. Stir well.
• Transfer melted chocolate mixture to a large mixing bowl, add granulated sugar, and, using electric mixer, beat on medium-high speed for a couple of minutes until the mixture is light in color. Add eggs and vanilla and continue beating to combine. Add flour mixture and milk, alternating between the two in two additions, into the chocolate mixture.
• Pour the cake batter into the baking pan and place chopped pears on top of the cake batter. Alternatively, you can fold in chopped pears into the cake batter before adding the cake batter into the baking pan.
• Bake for about 45 minutes or until the toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out reasonably clean and the cake bounces when touched.
• Cool on a wire rack for 15-30 minutes. If using springform pan, release the cake when completely cooled.
• Dust with powdered sugar before serving: it will make this tasty cake look really pretty!

APPLE JALOUSIE TART

Steps:

• Filling: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, toss together apples, sugar, vanilla seeds, cognac, lemon zest and juice, salt, and flour. Transfer to a 13-by-9-inch baking dish and dot with butter. Bake until apples are tender, about 40 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Pastry: Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees. Roll out pastry to a 16 1/2-by-12 1/2-inch rectangle on a piece of parchment. Using the tip of a paring knife, lightly score pastry into thirds, being careful not to cut all the way through. Cut 3/4-inch-wide strips along the two outer thirds, reserving center third for the filling. Be careful not to cut into the scored lines. Transfer to a baking sheet (if pastry becomes too soft, freeze until firm).
• Arrange filling evenly in center third of pastry. Freeze 20 minutes. Combine egg with 1 teaspoon water; lightly brush strips with egg wash. Alternating from one side to the other, fold strips evenly over filling in an overlapping pattern.
• Transfer to a parchment-lined room-temperature baking sheet. Lightly brush top with egg wash and generously sprinkle with sugar. Bake 20 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake 20 minutes more. Switch oven to broiler setting; broil until sugar is caramelized, 2 to 3 minutes (watch carefully to prevent burning). Let cool to room temperature. Slice and serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.