Caramel and Chocolate-Dipped Holiday Pears
Serves 4
Ripe, comice pears get the royal treatment with a delicious coating of caramel and chocolate. This effortlessly elegant dessert is the pear-fect ending to a meal, whether it's a weeknight family supper or an upscale holiday dinner.
Ingredients
- 2 ripe Comice pears (stems on, rinsed, and thoroughly dried)
- 11 ounces soft caramel candies
- 1 cup pecans (toasted and chopped)
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (preferably 70% cacao) (chopped)
Optional Ingredients
- Flaky finishing salt
Directions
- Line a plate with parchment paper. Mist with nonstick cooking spray or brush with oil.
- Unwrap caramels and place in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add 2 tablespoons water and heat, stirring often, until caramels melt into a smooth sauce.
- Holding stem of one pear, dip in warm caramel, coating almost to the top (spoon caramel around pear, if needed). Remove pear to prepared plate, scraping excess caramel from bottom. Repeat with second pear. Chill pears in refrigerator 1 hour.
- Melt chocolate in a double boiler (a heat-proof bowl or small pot set over a pan of simmering water). Place chopped nuts in a small bowl.
- Dip bottom half of each pear in warm chocolate, scraping excess from bottom; then dip in chopped nuts. Return to lined plate.
- Chill 1 hour or until serving time. If desired, sprinkle with flaky salt before serving.
- Microwave Directions:
- For Step 2: Place unwrapped caramels in microwave-safe bowl. Add 2 tablespoons water, heat 30 seconds, and stir. Continue heating in 15-second increments, stirring in between, until caramels melt completely. Continue with step 3.
- For Step 6: Place chocolate in microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds. Stir, and continue heating in 15-second increments, stirring in between, until chocolate is completely melted. Continue with step 7.