Rose & Red Fruit Poached Pears with Dark Chocolate Cups and Soil
Rose & Red Fruit Poached Pears with Dark Chocolate Cups and Soil
Autumn desserts are some of my favourites, and this one is no exception. These rose & red fruit poached pears served in dark chocolate cups with chocolate soil, are so pretty with their burgundy and earthy brown tones to perfectly reflect the fall season.
Not only are pears at their best this time of year but add a light scattering of dried crushed rose petals reminiscent of fallen leaves from a tree, and then a spiced, sweet, and fragrant syrup with dark chocolate elements to positively warm your senses, and you will feel ready to cozy up as the cold weather rolls in.
This dessert is very easy to make in advance and stores well in the fridge until you are ready to enjoy.
- Prep Time30 min
- Cook Time1 hr
- Total Time1 hr 30 min
- Ready inFew Hours
- Makes6
Ingredients
Poached Pears
- 6 Medium-sized Pears with a Firm Ripeness (Peeled, cored, and with the bases evened so they sit upright)
- ½ Cup of Granulated Sugar
- 1-2 Cinnamon Sticks
- ½ - 1 Star Anise
- 1-2 Tablespoon of Mixed Spice (Or to taste)
- 1-2 Tablespoons of Rosewater or Rose Syrup (Or to taste)
- 1 Cup of Freeze Dry Red Fruit (I used Brix Fruit Fusion)
- Enough water to cover the Pears
Chocolate Soil
- 1 Cup of Oats
- ½ Cup of Plain Flour
- ½ Cup of Dark Cocoa Powder
- ½ Cup of Granulated Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons of Golden Syrup
- 3 Tablespoons of Coconut Oil
- ¼ Cup of Desiccated Coconut
- 1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Essence
Dark Chocolate Cups
- 100 gms of High-Quality Dark Chocolate (I used 50/50 Kokoa Collection West Africa 100% Cocoa + 70% Organic Peru)
Garnish
- Edible Dried Rose Buds
- Star Anise
- Pieces or Crushed Freeze-Dried Fruit
Method
Poached Pears
Find a saucepan to fit the pears snuggly. Place all your poaching spices and the water in and bring to a simmer on the stove. Allow the spices to simmer for approximately 10mins to infuse the flavours together. Add the pears, cover, and simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes. Once done, cool and store in the fridge with the syrup in an airtight container until ready to use.
Chocolate Soil
Preheat oven to 200C, 400F, Gas Mark 6. (Reduce for Fan Forced)
Place oats into a food processor. Pulse roughly until they resemble chunky breadcrumbs. Add flour, cocoa, sugar, and desiccated coconut. Pulse for 5 seconds to combine, then add the coconut oil, golden syrup and vanilla. Pulse once more for 10 seconds until mixed through. The mixture should stick together a little when pressed between fingers.
Spread on a lined baking tray and cook in the oven for 10mins . When done, remove from the oven and run a fork through the crumbs to break and roughen them up, then leave to cool on the tray. Store in an airtight container.
Chocolate Cups
Break the chocolate into small pieces and microwave in short 10 second bursts, stirring between each burst until fully melted. If you wish to temper your chocolate, you can find instructions on how to achieve this using Steps 1 & 2 of my Cherry Ripe Bundt Desserts found here.
Once your chocolate is melted, evenly divide the melted chocolate into 6 small dome shaped moulds or a silicone cupcake pan. Coat each evenly with the chocolate by moving and rotating the moulds and allowing the chocolate to cover the surface of each mould.
I don't mind having rougher top edges on the chocolate cups, because it adds to the textured look of the dessert. If you wish to make yours neater, you can scrape any excess away across the top rim of each dome with a metal spatular to even them out.
Place in the fridge until fully solid before attempting to remove.
Plating & Garnish
Place approximately 3-5 tablespoons of the chocolate soil in the center of the plates. Sprinkle the top of the soil with a little of the crushed/pieces of freeze-dried fruit.
Add the chocolate cups in the centre of the soil, and use the soil to steady the cup. Carefully balance the poached pear inside the bowl.
Sprinkle with some crushed rosebuds, and crushed/pieces of freeze-dried fruit.. Decorate the soil with more rosebuds and star anise.
Serve alongside the syrup and pour over the pear to fill your chocolate bowl just before eating.
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EQUIPMENT
- MUST HAVE - 6 Silicon Dome/Cupcake Moulds
- MUST HAVE - Food Processor
Recipe Notes
- The spice quantities for the poaching syrup are suggestions only. You can adjust according to which flavours you prefer to be more prominent. Once your poaching liquid has simmered for 10mins, taste, and adjust as desired.
