Chocolate Truffle Stuffed Pear Wreath Recipes

CHOCOLATE PEAR POUCHES

Steps:

• Peel the pears and, using a melon baller or paring knife, core from the bottom, leaving the stems intact. Combine the wine, 3 cups water, the sugar, dried cherries, cinnamon stick and cardamom in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the pears (add more water to submerge the pears, if necessary). Poach until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat; let the pears cool in the liquid. (To make a day ahead, transfer the pears and liquid to a container, cover and refrigerate.)
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Mix the chocolate, walnuts, 1 tablespoon melted butter and a pinch each of sugar and salt in a bowl. Remove the pears from the liquid and stuff with some of the chocolate mixture. Simmer the poaching liquid over medium-high heat until syrupy, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Lay out 1 sheet of phyllo, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Repeat the layering 2 more times. Cut the dough in half crosswise. Spoon the remaining chocolate mixture in the center of each piece and top with the pears, stem-side up. Pull up the corners of the phyllo to meet at the pear stem; pinch and twist the excess phyllo. Brush with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Transfer the pouches to a baking sheet and bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve with the cherry syrup.

QUICK PEAR TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon together. Lay puff pastry sheet on a work surface brush with melted butter and sprinkle with half the cinnamon sugar. Cut into 6 even pieces. Fan the pear slices over the puff pastry, using 1/2 a pear for each puff pastry square. Sprinkle tops of pear tarts with remaining cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake until pastry is golden and cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes.
• Remove from tart from oven, sprinkle with cheese and bake until cheese melts, 5 minutes more.

HOLIDAY WREATH CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Slice off the top half of the top portion of each cupcake or muffin. Using a teaspoon carve a small amount of the cake so that you are left with a shallow indentation about 1-inch deep and place 1 tablespoon of the cherry pie filling into the indentation. Smooth into a circle.
• Add the peppermint extract to the frosting container and mix. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a star tip with the frosting. Pipe the icing around the circumference of the cherry pie filling to the edge of the cupcake.
• Cut the fruit roll into 6 thin strips about 6 inches long. Tie each strip into a bow and place onto the edge of the icing. Place a red cinnamon candy in the center of the bow using a bit of icing to secure it. Repeat with remaining bows and candies. Lightly sprinkle the icing with green sanding sugar.
• Foil Wrap:
• Cut out 6 (6 by 6-inch) squares of foil. Stack the foil squares on top of each other and place a saucer on top of the foil. Using scissors cut around the saucer so that the foil is a perfect circle. Place a cupcake in the center of each of the foil circles and wrap the foil up along the side of the cupcake. Fold out edges of foil.

SPICED PEAR TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium-high until it begins to simmer. Pour over chocolate; let stand 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Whisk in liqueur, five-spice powder, and salt until smooth. Pour mixture into a 9-inch pie dish; let cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.
• Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment. With a 1-inch ice cream scoop or melon baller, scoop out chocolate mixture and place on one prepared sheet. Refrigerate until set, about 20 minutes.
• Place cocoa powder in a bowl. Dust hands with cocoa and roll truffles into balls, coating hands with more cocoa as needed; place on other prepared sheet. Refrigerate until set, 1 hour. Roll truffles in more cocoa powder or brush with pearl dust just before serving or packaging. Truffles can be stored, covered, in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.