Pear with Chocolate Meringue Topping

Soft sharp pear contrasts wonderfully with a sweet, nutty chocolate meringue topping, less than 150 calories per serving – or if you make mini ramekins, only 60 – 75 calories each, depending on the size and sweetness of the pears.

Pear with Chocolate Meringue Topping

The idea for this dish came from BBC Good Food, where it is called Chocolate Pear Crisp.  But their recipe had way too much sugar for my taste, so I radically changed it.

Pear with Chocolate Meringue Topping
Serves 3
soft sharp pear contrasts wonderfully with a sweet and nutty chocolate meringue topping
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
35 min
Total Time
40 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
35 min
Total Time
40 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 egg white
  2. 1 lemon, juice only
  3. 15g granulated sugar
  4. 5g unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
  5. 20g ground almonds
  6. 2 small pears
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 160c.
  2. Peel the pears, discard the cores and cut into pieces.
  3. Put into a small saucepan with the lemon juice, cover and cook gently for about 10 minutes, until the pear is nice and soft.
  4. Meanwhile, mix the cocoa, sugar and almonds in a bowl.
  5. Whisk the egg white then fold in to the dry ingredients.
  6. Transfer the pears to 3 ramekins (or 2 ordinary and 2 mini ones) and spread the meringue mixture over the top.
  7. Bake for about 20 - 25 minutes, until nicely crisped on top.
Adapted from BBC Good Food, Chocolate Pear Crisp
Focus on Flavour http://www.focusonflavour.com/

Pear with Amaretti Crumble <100 calories

Mmm, soft pear topped with a creamy, crunchy topping, and under 100 calories a serving! 

Pear with Amaretti Crumble

There are still some lovely European-grown pears to choose from – these are small Williams pears. 

Pear with Amaretti Crumble
Serves 2
A low fat, low-calorie dessert of soft pear with a crunchy topping
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
25 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
25 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 small ripe Pears (about 100g each)
  2. 2 tblsp low-fat Fromage Blanc or Fromage Frais
  3. 2 tsp Honey
  4. 2 small Amaretti Cookies
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 180c
  2. Cut the pears in half and scoop out the cores with a spoon, leaving a nice smooth hollow.
  3. Put the pears in an ovenproof dish.
  4. Fill the hollows with fromage blanc and drizzle with half the honey.
  5. Bake for 10 minutes, then crumble the amaretti cookies over the top.
  6. Bake for a further 10 minutes.
  7. Serve with the remaining honey drizzled over or around.
Notes
  1. Sometimes I add a little water to the dish before baking, to make a light sauce (could use masala wine for a treat day).
  2. 100 calories per serving, if you use small pears (if they are large ones, have just half a one each).
Adapted from BBC Good Food
Adapted from BBC Good Food
Focus on Flavour http://www.focusonflavour.com/
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