A refreshing and cooling twist on the classic Poire belle Hélène—poached pears served with chocolate sauce—this sorbet lets the fragrance of pears shine, highlighting it with some rich chocolate. Couldn't be similar, too!
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 1 Quarts (Approx.) | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 25 - 30 minutes | 8+ hours |
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A refreshing and cooling twist on the classic Poire belle Hélène—poached pears served with chocolate sauce—this sorbet lets the fragrance of pears shine, highlighting it with some rich chocolate. Couldn't be similar, too!
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Ingredients
- 2-1/2 pounds anjou pears (about 4 - 5 pears, depending on size)
- 5 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1 cup sugar
- Small pinch instant espresso powder
- About 2 quarts water
- 1/2 t-spoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons pear liqueur or pear-infused vodka
- Small pinch kosher salt
Servings: Quarts (Approx.)
Instructions
- Place the unpeeled pears in a pot, about 5 quarts in size, and pour over just enough water to cover the pears. Place it over medium-low heat and bring to a gentle simmer and let it stay there for about 25 – 30 minutes, until the pears are incredibly tender.
- Once the pears are soft, remove them from the pan and plunge them into a bowl of ice water. Peel and core them, then set aside.
- Either discard all but 1 cup of the poaching water, or reduce down to a cup—this will take some time, though—before stirring in the sugar and simmering to dissolve it. Let it come to a slight bubble, then set aside for a minute while you carry on.
- Roughly chop the pears and add them to a blender. Pour in the warm sugar syrup, salt, liqueur, vanilla, and espresso. Sift in the cocoa (yes, sift) and then blend. Start at a low speed and work your way up, letting it run for a few minutes at the end to make sure it’s totally smooth.
- Transfer to a storage container and stash in the fridge for 4 – 6 hours, until completely chilled. Churn in an ice cream maker per manufacturer instructions—mine takes about 20 – 25 minutes—after which time transfer it back into a storage container and retire to the freezer for a final chill—about 2 hours.
- Let the sorbet soften for about 5 – 10 minutes on the counter before serving.
Recipe Notes
- If your ice cream maker uses a vessel that needs to be frozen, be sure to put it in the freezer several days in advance. If it's not COMPLETELY frozen the sorbet will never set and churn, and just go slushy.
- Anjou pears work best for this because they soften beautifully but still give you some of that mealy texture that make pears so great. Bartlett pears would work equally well, but don't use boscs—they're far too firm and won't yield a smooth sorbet.
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