Chocolate Dipped Pears

By AnneS

Ingredients

• 6 large, firm green pears with stems
• 1 cup coarsely chopped nuts
• 1-14 oz bag of caramels
• 3 Tablespoons water
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Preparation

Step 1

Wash and dry the pears, but leave the stems intact. Place the pears on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the chopped nuts in a shallow dish; set aside.

Unwrap the caramels. In a heavy, medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together the caramels and water just until the caramels melt.

Holding onto the stem of the pear, carefully dip each pear into the hot caramel mixture, spooning caramel evenly over the bottom half of the pear (do not dip entire pear). Allow any excess caramel to drip off. Briefly set the bottom of the partially coated pear in the nuts. Place each pear on the prepared baking sheet; let stand about 30 minutes, or until the caramel is firm.

In a small saucepan over low heat, stir the semisweet chocolate pieces and 2 teaspoons of butter until the chocolate is melted. Drizzle the chocolate over the stem end of the pears allowing any excess chocolate to drip down the sides of the pears, but not covering all of the pear. Place the pears on the prepared baking sheet; let stand for about 30 minutes, or until the chocolate is set.

In a small saucepan over low heat, stir together the white chocolate chips and 1 1/2 teaspoons of butter until melted. Drizzle the white chocolate mixture over each pear, but do not completely cover the semisweet chocolate. Let the pears stand about 1 hour or until the chocolate is completely set. Chill, if desired, in a covered container for up to 2 days. To serve, cut the pears into quarters.