Poached Pears with Blueberry Jelly, Honey Candied Walnuts and Honey Yogurt Sauce

By Chef Morand Dare
Total Time
1 Hr, 20 Mins
Serves
8
Course
Desserts

DESCRIPTION

Though there are several elements to this dessert, they can all be made ahead, and together they are a wonderful blend of flavors and textures. However, if you don’t have time for the entire preparation, keep in mind that the poached pears are very good on their own, topped with the yogurt sauce and candied walnuts. Conversely, the blueberry jelly makes a lovely dessert as well, spooned into glasses and topped with minted yogurt and candied walnuts.

Prep Time
35 Mins
Cook Time
45 Mins
Total Time
1 Hr, 20 Mins
Calories
471 cal
Total Fat
15 g
Polyunsaturated Fat
10 g
Cholesterol
3 mg
Sodium
38 mg
Carbohydrates
84 g
Dietary Fiber
4 g
Protein
7 g

Ingredients

blueberry jelly
  • 2 envelopes gelatin, unflavored
  • 1 1/2 cups water, cold
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 pound blueberries, frozen, wild
poached pears
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 4 pears, preferably Bosc, small, ripe
honey candied walnuts
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 1 1/2 cups California walnuts, chopped, or in halves and pieces
minted honey yogurt sauce
  • 1 1/2 cups yogurt, plain, low-fat
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2–3 tablespoons mint, chopped, fresh

Preparation

blueberry jelly
  1. Coat a 13 x 9-inch pan (preferably a glass pan; don't use aluminum) with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a small cup or bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over 1/2 cup of the water. Stir to combine, then let stand about 5 minutes to soften the gelatin.
  3. While the gelatin soaks, combine the remaining 1 cup of water, the sugar and the blueberries in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, and boil for about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
  4. Add the softened gelatin to the hot blueberry mixture and stir for about 3 minutes, to dissolve the gelatin. Pour into the prepared pan and refrigerate for several hours, or overnight if you wish, until set.
poached pears
  1. To make the poaching liquid, in a saucepan combine the water, sugar, vinegar, honey and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar dissolves. Keep over low heat.
  2. Peel the pears, halve them and remove the cores. Add the pear halves to the poaching liquid. Cover the pan partially and cook the pears gently over low to medium heat, so the liquid is not actually boiling, for 10 – 20 minutes, or until the pears are tender when pierced with a knife. Remove from heat and let the pears cool in the liquid. The pears will keep in their poaching liquid, refrigerated, for several days.
  3. When you are ready to assemble the dessert, remove the pears and slice them, lengthwise, into thin slices.
honey candied walnuts
  1. Preheat the oven to 275°F. Coat a shallow baking pan with nonstick spray.
  2. In a large bowl combine the honey and water and stir until smooth. Add the walnuts and toss to coat them with the honey mixture. Spread evenly in the prepared pan and bake about 30 to 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so, until the water has evaporated and the nuts are golden brown. Cool, then store in an airtight container.
minted honey yogurt sauce
  1. Combine the yogurt, honey and mint and stir or whisk until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
AssemblY
  1. When you are ready to serve, spoon a layer of blueberry jelly on each of 8 dessert plates. Top with a pear half, fanning the slices slightly over the jelly. Spoon some minted yogurt sauce over the pears, and sprinkle with honey candied walnuts. For an ultimate splurge, serve the dessert in a chocolate bowl. Premade chocolate bowls, or shells, can be found in some gourmet markets, or in shops that specialize in baking supplies. You can also find several suppliers online, where the cups are available by mail order.