Poached Pears With Chocolate-Pear Sauce

From Bon Appetit, a lovely dessert for any occasion.Here's a little number you can whip up for a romantic after dinner dessert. Pear nectar can be found in the canned juice section of your market. The brand I use is Kern's. This is a nice change from some of the heavier desserts, and you still get the chocolate! Poaching time varies, depending on how ripe your pears are.

• Ready In: 1 hr 5 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1  cup  pear nectar
• 1  cup dry white wine
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 4  pears, slightly under-ripe, peeled, halved, cored
• 4  ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (NOT unsweetened or semi-sweet)

Directions

1. Stir pear nectar, white wine and sugar in a heavy large saucepan over med.high heat until sugar dissolves and syrup comes to a boil.
2. Add pears to syrup in saucepan.Cover pan, reduce heat to med.- low, and simmer until pears are tender, about 8 minutes.
3. Using slotted spoon transfer pears to plate.
4. Increase heat to med.- high and boil poaching liquid until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 8 minutes. Remove pan from heat.
5. Add chocolate; whisk until chocolate melts and sauce is smooth.
6. Place 1 warm pear half on each plate. Top with warm chocolate sauce. Or, cover pears and chocolate sauce separately and refrigerate up to 2 days; then serve pears cold with sauce, rewarming sauce, if desired.