Chocolate Pear Jalousie Recipes

TRAY-BAKED MERINGUE WITH PEARS, CREAM, TOASTED HAZELNUTS AND CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F and line a baking sheet with a sheet of waxed paper.
• Put your egg whites into a squeaky clean bowl, making sure there are absolutely no little pieces of egg shell or egg yolk in them. Whisk on medium until the whites form firm peaks. With your mixer still running, gradually add the sugar and the pinch of salt. Turn the mixer up to the highest setting and whisk for about 7 or 8 minutes, until the meringue mixture is white and glossy. To test whether it's done you can pinch some between your fingers - if it feels completely smooth it's ready; if it's slightly granular it needs a little more whisking.
• Dot each corner of the waxed paper with a blob of meringue, then turn it over and stick it to the baking sheet. Spoon the meringue out onto the paper. Using the back of a spoon, shape and swirl it into a rectangle. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour or until crisp on the outside and a little soft and sticky inside. At the same time, bake the hazelnuts on a separate sheet in the oven for 1 hour or until golden brown.
• Drain the cans of pears, reserving the syrup from 1 can. Cut each pear half into 3 slices. Pour the pear syrup into a saucepan with the ginger, if using, and warm gently over a medium heat until it starts to simmer. Take off the heat and snap the chocolate into the saucepan, stirring with a spoon until it's all melted.
• Take the meringue and hazelnuts out of the oven and leave to cool. Place the meringue on a nice rustic board or platter. Whip the cream with the sifted icing sugar and the vanilla seeds until it forms smooth, soft peaks. Smash the toasted hazelnuts (in a kitchen towel) and sprinkle half of them over the top of the meringue. Spoon half the whipped cream over the top and drizzle with some of the chocolate sauce (if the sauce has firmed up, melt it slightly by holding the saucepan over a large pan of boiling water). Divide most of the pear pieces evenly over the top. Pile over the rest of the whipped cream and pears. Drizzle with some more chocolate sauce, then sprinkle over the remaining toasted hazelnuts with some grated orange zest. Serve straightaway. If you're making this in advance, get everything ready and assemble at the last minute.

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 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.

SQUIDGY CHOCOLATE PEAR PUDDING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Lightly grease a roughly 20 x 30cm shallow ovenproof dish. Put the butter in a large saucepan and place over a low heat until just melted. Remove the butter from the heat and stir in the sugar until well combined.
• Whisk the eggs together in a large bowl. Gradually add the eggs to the butter and sugar, beating well with a wooden spoon in between each addition. Sift the flour and cocoa powder on top of the egg mixture, then beat hard with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.
• Pour into the prepared tin or dish and nestle the pears into the chocolate batter. Put the chocolate on a board and cut into chunky pieces roughly 1.5cm with a large knife. Scatter the chocolate pieces over the batter and sprinkle with almonds, if you like. Can be frozen at this stage.
• Bake in the centre of the oven for 30 mins or until the mixture is crusty on the surface and lightly cooked inside. Do not allow to overcook, as the cake will become spongy rather than gooey in the centre. Serve warm with cream or ice cream

CHOCOLATE PEAR TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a 9-inch removable-bottom tart pan with butter; set aside.
• In a food processor, combine almonds and sugar; process until very finely ground. Add butter, eggs, cocoa, vanilla, salt, and almond extract, if using; process until combined. Spread mixture evenly in prepared pan.
• Peel, halve, and core pears; cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, rubbing them with lemon as you work (to prevent discoloration). Arrange slices on chocolate mixture, slightly overlapping, without pressing in.
• Place pan on a baking sheet; bake until top is puffed and a toothpick inserted in center of chocolate mixture comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool completely in pan.
• Briefly heat jelly in the microwave or on the stove until liquefied. Gently brush pears with jelly; let set, at least 20 minutes. Remove tart from pan, and serve.