Vanilla Poached Pears with Chocolate Sauce

Ingredients: (Conversion Chart)

• 1½ cups dry white wine
• ¼ cup sugar
• Zest of 2 lemons
• 1 vanilla bean
• 4 pears, peeled, cored and quartered
• 5 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, add wine, sugar and lemon zest. Slice vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape seeds from the pod. Mash seeds into syrup mixture; cook syrup over medium heat, 2 minutes.
2. Add pears to syrup, basting pears several times as they cook, about 20 to 25 minutes or until tender.
3. Melt chocolate in a double boiler over barely simmering water. Place 4 pear pieces in a bowl, spoon 2 tablespoons of the syrup over the fruit, then lightly drizzle pears with chocolate. Repeat for remaining pears. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Info: