Oven Roasted Pears With Blackberry Sauce

Pears:

<a href="/H3S4YV46">Pre-heat </a>oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. <a href="/RSDQ7YW8">Peel,</a> <a href="/7RTG3XPP">core </a>and quarter the pears. <a href="/64W3NS5R">Melt </a>the butter in a large casserole or <a href="/RNT367Z2">baking </a><a href="/QQVZX64Y">dish </a>(I used a 10 quart Le Creuset Dutch Oven), add the pears and cook over high <a href="/XZFHRHHF">heat </a>for about ten minutes or until the pears are golden <a href="/D434P8MH">brown.</a> Keep <a href="/DRM2WPZ4">stirring </a>them so they are evenly <a href="/HT4RHHGB">colored.</a> Transfer the <a href="/RNT367Z2">baking </a>dish/casserole into the oven for 7-10 minutes until the pears are easily pierced with a p<a href="/XYDYJ832">aring k</a>nife. Remove the pears from the oven, transfer to a bowl, and let them c<a href="/GZFHJC5K">ool t</a>o room temperature.

Blackberry Sauce:

<a href="/8BSVY4LZ">Wash </a>and <a href="/RF7SRX43">dry </a>the blackberries. (I use a <a href="/W5YYKHT2">salad </a>spinner). Reserve ½ cup of the berries for<a href="/HZXPVMNR"> garnish</a>. Put the 3 cups of blackberries, the powered sugar and the lemon<a href="/QDWRNXYW"> juice</a> in a food processor and purée. Pour the purée into a bowl and set aside.

<a href="/H3S4YV46">Pre-heat </a>oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Take a full size sheet pan and line it with a silpat mat. (If you don’t have one, use parchment paper sprayed with Pam cooking spray) Get a large pastry bag with a star tip ready. Put the granulated sugar in a food processor and “blitz” into a very fine powder, about a minute. Transfer the superfine sugar to a bowl. Add the confectioner’s sugar and the chocolate to the food processor and process until the chocolate is pulverized into tiny flecks. Transfer to a bowl. Pour the egg whites into a <a href="/7S3QCKWK">mixing </a>bowl and <a href="/3CYMY2D7">beat </a>at slow speed with a <a href="/GV3SK283">whisk </a>attachment until the egg whites begin to froth, then add the <a href="/R3P5MM3Z">cream </a>of <a href="/877FQBR8">tartar.</a> Increase the speed to high and <a href="/3CYMY2D7">beat </a>the whites until they form stiff peaks. Add the superfine sugar and continue to <a href="/3CYMY2D7">beat </a>for another two minute

Using a spatula, fill the pastry bag with the egg white mixture and <a href="/B56DXXQ7">pipe </a>out the meringue “kisses” onto the lined <a href="/RNT367Z2">baking </a>sheet. As you finish <a href="/KVDHNZ86">squeezing </a>out a dollop of egg white, gently push the star tip of the pastry bag into the dollop about ¼ inch and then quickly pull it away: that action gives the <a href="/R34ZSY3M">top </a>a small point.

When all the meringues are <a href="/B56DXXQ7">piped </a>out, place the <a href="/RNT367Z2">baking </a>sheet in the oven for an hour-and-a half. You’re not <a href="/RNT367Z2">baking </a>the meringues, but simply <a href="/RF7SRX43">drying </a>out the egg whites. They’re done when the meringue is hard to the touch. Remove the meringues from the oven and let <a href="/GZFHJC5K">cool </a>to room temperature.

To <a href="/ZJ3WDM5Q">plate </a>and <a href="/Y6MVNCHX">serve,</a> <a href="/NX588QBK">spoon </a>several tablespoons of blackberry sauce into the center of a bowl, add 3 0r 4 pear quarters, several meringue kisses, and g<a href="/HZXPVMNR">arnish w</a>ith a few whole blackberries.