By Kristin Eddy
Chicago Tribune
(KRT)
The color of the pureed raspberry makes this dessert a stunner. From "Cooking the RealAge Way." In the test kitchen, we found that the sauce needed 20 minutes to reduce.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 38 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
2 large Bartlett, Comice or Anjou pears, preferably red
1 cup white grape juice, such as Welch's brand
1 package (12 ounces) frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed, or 2 cups fresh raspberries
2 tablespoons mini-chocolate chips
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped pistachios, toasted, see note
Mint sprigs, optional
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut each pear in half; remove core with a melon baller or metal measuring teaspoon. Arrange pears, cut sides down, in a shallow baking dish. Pour grape juice over pears. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until pears are tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife.
2. Meanwhile, puree raspberries in food processor; strain and discard seeds. Transfer roasted pears to serving plates, cut sides up; sprinkle chocolate chips over the pears (the heat of the pears will melt the chips). Combine pureed raspberries and liquid remaining in baking dish in a small saucepan. Cook over high heat until sauce has reduced to ¾ cup, 6 to 8 minutes. Spoon sauce over and around pears; sprinkle with pistachios and garnish with mint sprigs, if desired.
Substitutions: If you have Champagne or white wine and not white grape juice, then use it without fear, and with a teaspoon of sugar. Sliced toasted almonds or chopped hazelnuts may replace pistachios, and blackberries or strawberries may replace raspberries.
Tips: Toast the pistachios by baking them at 350 degrees for approximately 6 minutes. Using mini-chocolate chips makes the chocolate flavor go further by packing in the most chips per tablespoon.
Nutrition information per serving (calculated by the Chicago Tribune): 188 calories, 23 percent of calories from fat, 5.1 g fat, 1.4 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 37 g carbohydrates, 2.7 g protein, 4.3 mg sodium, 7.7 g fiber
© 2003, Chicago Tribune.
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.
