French recipes: chocolate creams & pear compote

I often make chocolate creams in my multi-délices yoghurt maker using the Danette–style recipe¹, but ever since I discovered this recipe on the blog ‘Ô miam miam de Soso’, it’s all I ever follow.

Sometimes I even adapt it to make white chocolate or caramel-flavoured versions (using Valrhona chocolate with caramel notes). Personally I find this recipe better than the one I used to use! I wanted to enhance the chocolate cream with a pear compote, and they work wonderfully together.

Chocolate creams on pear compote

Perfect for afternoon tea or a decadent dessert

Serves: 8
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Ready in: 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients
4 pears
1 teaspoon butter
1 tablespoon organic white sugar
250ml non-sweetened condensed milk
250ml milk
1 egg
1 egg yolk
70g organic white sugar
80g 70% dark chocolate, finely chopped or grated
20g non-sweetened cocoa powder

Method

1. Peel the pears and chop into cubes. Melt the butter in a large pot over heat. Add the pears and cook gently for five minutes, then add the sugar and increase the heat slightly. Allow the juices to reduce, keeping an eye on the pot and stirring occasionally. Be careful to keep the chunks of pear intact; we don’t want to turn it into a purée. Spoon the pear compote into the bottom of the pots and leave to cool.

2. Heat the condensed milk in a saucepan. When this comes to the boil add the dark chocolate, grated or finely chopped beforehand. Allow the chocolate to melt for 5 minutes, then mix well with a wooden spoon.

3. Beat the egg and extra yolk with the sugar. Add the cocoa, then the chocolate-condensed milk mixture and finally the milk. Mix well with a whisk.

4. Once the pear compote has cooled, add the chocolate cream mixture. Pour gently so that the chunks of pear remain at the bottom of the pot.

5. Programme your multi-délices to ‘dairy dessert’ mode and put the pots in for 30 minutes (don’t forget to put water in the tray). You can also cook them in a bain marie in your oven for 40 minutes at 130ºC. Once cooked, the creams are still quite wobbly but they will finish setting as they cool. Store them in the fridge once cool.

6. Bon appétit!

What are your favourite French recipes? Share below!