Cheat Pears Helene

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time:  0 minutes
Total time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4

It's National Pears Helene Day! If you've ever had Pears Helene at a restaurant, you'll know that it is one of the most sophisticated of desserts.

Legend has it that a French culinary master created it in dedication to his love of the opera

La belle Hélène (trust the French to take sophistication to unprecedented heights!)

Recreating it at home, however, takes time and skills, as the pears have to be poached in homemade syrup.

I'm sure purists will be up in arms with my 'cheat' recipe, but I don't care (sue me, why don't you?)

I just don't have the time (or the skills of a French chef) to create a true 'Poires Helene' (it's original name).

But my Cheat Pears Helene, I believe, tastes just as good, and it's on the table in 10 minutes flat!

I just make sure I use some of the best ingredients I can get my hands on.

I particularly love St. Dalfour Organic Chocolate Sauce which is made in France (I may be cheating, but I'm still paying homage to the country that invented Pears Helene!)

It takes all my will power not to eat this gorgeous sauce straight out from the bottle!

Happy National Pears Helene Day!

Your Ingredients:

1/4 cup of Dalfour Organic Chocolate Sauce

4-8 scoops of vanilla ice cream

4 canned whole pears (if you can't find whole pears, use pear halves)

1/3 cup of strawberry or raspberry jam

1 tablespoon of hot water

How to make your Cheat Pears Helene

Get out 4 dessert plates and divide the 1/4 cup of chocolate sauce between them

Place 1-2 scoops of vanilla ice cream on top of the pools of sauce, not directly in the middle but off to one side

Drain the pears, and place a whole pear onto the side of the scoops of ice cream on each plate.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the jam and water to create a syrup.
Spoon the syrup over each pear.
 

Mom’s Secret Tip:

Keeping canned fruit in the cupboard makes for quick and easy desserts. Also, having organic chocolate sauce to hand will please the children whilst making you feel good that they aren’t eating too many additives.