I thought I would share a #dessert called Pears Helene Day, that I hadn’t heard of which is celebrated on March 15th every year,. Pears Helene Day honors the delicious French dessert made up of warm poached Pears, Vanilla Ice Cream, and Chocolate Sauce.
Both David and his Dad love #Pears, I was thinking Charlie and I could make Pears Helene for them for dessert this evening. Even though Charlie has finished his #Homeschooling Cooking Class I was going to ask Charlie to help me make Pears Helene for them. Would you want to join us and we can make this desert for your family as well.
Pears Helene Day is a celebration of French culture and history, and National Pears Helene Day helps us keep the tradition alive. Did you know that the original recipe was so complicated to prepare for some people, so simpler versions were developed using canned Pears? Sliced Almonds also replaced the crystallized violets to appeal to a larger audience.
Pears Helene is a classic dish that has been around for over 100 years! Pears have long been used in desserts because of their natural sweetness, and Pears Helene is no exception. The Pears Helene Dessert is a French dessert made with Poached Pears, Vanilla Ice Cream, and Chocolate Sauce. The combination of Pears, Ice Cream, Vanilla, and Sugar creates the perfect sweet treat to enjoy after dinner!
Pears Helene is a ‘pâte de fruit’ dessert, which is very popular in France, and originated in the early 1860s. Pear Helene has been a popular dish for many years. This delicacy usually consists of pâte de fruit covered with Whipped Cream, but you can also make Pears Helene with Apricot or Pineapple Pâte de Fruits and Vanilla Ice Cream on top instead of the Whipped Cream.
The origin of Pears Helene can be traced back to around 1864 when French Chef Georges Auguste Escoffier made a dish from Pears poached in Sugar Syrup and served with Vanilla Ice Cream, Chocolate Syrup, and crystallized Violets.
He created this dish in the honor of the operetta La belle Hélène by Jacques Offenbach. Over time, this iconic and delicious dish has taken many forms, and simpler versions of Pears Helene have been developed by substituting the Poached Pears with canned Pears and the crystallized Violets with sliced Almonds.
Pears Helene Day Activities
- The greatest pleasure you can have on National Pears Helene Day is by eating this dessert! Visit your favorite restaurant that serves Pears Helene and enjoy!
- If your ready to bring out the ultimate chef in yourself or your friends and family purchase Pears and all the other ingredients and start preparing Pears Helene yourself. You can invite your friends and family and serve Pears Helene to them too.
- If you can’t get your hands on any Pears Helene, you can enjoy Pears in their natural form by eating the Pear raw.
Facts About Pears Helene
- Did you know there are over 3,000 varieties of Pears worldwide?
- The U.S. is one of the largest producers of Pears globally.
- Pears are one of the very few Fruits with an extensive history, dating back to about 1000 B.C.
- Today, Avocados are commonly called ‘Butter Fruit,’ but Pears were called ‘Butter Fruit’ for their soft, Butter-like texture in the olden days.
- The wood of the Pear Tree is used to construct musical instruments and sometimes even furniture and other wood décor.
Why People Love Pears Helene Day
Although the richness of Pears Helene involve Chocolate and other sweets might seem like overkill for some, Pears are actually very nutritious Fruits.
Pears Helene is one of the delicious desserts one can ever taste. So, a special day to celebrate this special dish is most welcome!
National Pears Helene Day allows us to indulge in this delicious dish. So, what’s not to love about this National Pears Helene Day?
Recipe for Pears Helene
Ingredients
For the poached pears
- 4 firm pears such as Williams or 1 – 2 x 415 grams tin of pear halves in juice
- juice of 1 lemon
- 100 grams caster sugar
- 1 vanilla pod (split in half lengthways) or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the chocolate sauce
- 200 grams dark chocolate (broken into pieces)
- 120 ml strong black coffee or 1 teaspoon instant coffee made up with 120ml / ½ cup water from a freshly boiled kettle
- 90 grams caster sugar
- 120 millilitres double cream
- 1 tub vanilla ice cream
- crystallised violets (optional)
Directions
If using fresh pears, peel, halve and core the pears and sprinkle the lemon juice over them to stop them from discolouring. In a wide shallow pan (in which the pears will fit in one layer — otherwise cook them in batches) put 300ml water, the sugar and split vanilla pod if using. Bring to the boil, stirring every now and again to make sure the sugar dissolves, then lower the heat slightly and simmer for 5 minutes. Now is the time to add vanilla extract if you are using that.
Put the pears into the liquid, cut side down, and raise the heat again so that the syrup boils up and the pears are covered by it. You may need to spoon the syrup over. After half a minute or so, lower the heat, then cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn the pears, cover the pan again and simmer for another 10 minutes. Carry on until the pears are cooked and translucent: they should feel tender (but not soggy) when pierced with the tip of a knife. Take off the heat, keep covered, and leave to cool.
If, however, you are using canned pears (no shame) simply remove them from the tin and drain them, and leave to one side.
To make the chocolate sauce, place the chocolate pieces in a heavy based saucepan with the coffee and sugar and melt over a low heat, stirring occasionally.
Once it has nearly melted stir in the cream, and once it has made a smooth sauce take off the heat and pour into a jug.
You can just take all components to the table for people to eat as they like or, to make each serving, scoop some ice cream into a sundae glass or a bowl, and then place a pear half (or two) on top.
Pour over some chocolate sauce, and then sprinkle over the crystallized violets if you are using them.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
