By Ina Paarman
Serves 6
PEARS
4 ripe pears
3 T (45 ml) sugar
½ cup (125 ml) water
½ cup (125 ml) white wine
1 star anise or 1 sliver of cinnamon stick
pinch of salt
CHOCOLATE SHARDS
90 g dark chocolate
2 rectangles of baking paper 40 cm x 30 cm
1 cardboard core from an empty roll of kitchen paper or foil
MOUSSE
¼ cup (60 ml) strong espresso coffee
1 cup (250 ml) cold tap water
1 x 310 g Ina Paarman's Chocolate Mousse Mix
1 cup (250 ml) fresh cream
PEARS
Peel the pears and core. Cut each one into 6 8 wedges from top to bottom. In a medium
saucepan, dissolve the sugar in the water and
wine. Bring to the boil, add the star anise,
pear wedges and a pinch of salt. Simmer with
lid on for 15 - 20 minutes depending on ripeness of pears, until they test soft with a tooth
pick. Remove from the heat and allow to cool
in the syrup.
CHOCOLATE SHARDS
Gently melt the chocolate in a small bowl over hot
water. Spread the melted chocolate on one sheet of
baking paper leaving a wide border. Lay the second
sheet on top. Use a rolling pin to gently level the
chocolate between the sheets of baking paper. Roll
out to the size of the paper, leaving a border. Roll
the paper around the cardboard core and secure
with paper clips. Leave to set hard in the fridge until
ready to decorate the dessert. To garnish: unroll the
paper and pull the top sheet straight while unrolling,
this will splinter the chocolate on the bottom sheet
into slightly rounded shards.
MOUSSE
Add espresso to 1 cup (250 ml) of water and mix according to package instructions. Do not fold the
whipped cream in completely, but leave streaks of
white to give a marbled effect.
ASSEMBLY
Spoon the poached pears and all the syrup into a
glass bowl. Top with mousse and add chocolate