Poire Belle Hélène is a simple French chocolate pear dessert. Invented by Chef Escoffier in Paris, 1864 in homage to Offenbach's Belle-Hélène music, this classic poire dessert has stood the test of time. Re-create this easy recipe at home with poached pears, vanilla ice cream and pour over some warm chocolate sauce.
Last time I made this was with tinned pears (don’t tell) but made them poached for the first time. Thanks for all your instructions - so easy to follow and that chocolate sauce is incredible!
Sarah
What is the History of Pear Belle Hélène?
This dessert's origins goes back to Paris, 17 December 1864 at the Théâtre des Variétés on Boulevard Montmartre. The French soprano, Hortense Schneider (known as la Snédèr) was singing the title role of Helen of Troy (or Sparta) in the first performance of Jacques Offenbach's opera bouffe, La Belle-Hélène.
Funnily enough, the soprano was originally turned down by the Théâtre des Variétés when she came to Paris from Bordeaux. It's thanks to Offenbach who invited her to the Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens in Passage Choiseul, which the composer founded in 1855 for the performance of his operettas and opera bouffes.
From then on, Hortense Schneider became a real Parisian celebrity - even if she was renowned for being a bit of a Prima Donna.
Bare with me, it sounds like I'm straying but this history part is where the dessert comes in!
Escoffier's Belle Hélène Creation
Cue the young chef, Auguste Escoffier (1846-1935), who would be a mere 18 years old at that first performance.
Captivated by Schneider's silky smooth voice as the beautiful Helen, Escoffier dreamt up this symphony of flavours: a pear poached in vanilla syrup, served with vanilla ice cream and topped with the silkiest, warm chocolate sauce.
I wonder if the soprano was a bit pear-shaped for the fruity inspiration part or perhaps it was just the height of the season!
Pear Belle-Hélène Ingredients
Just like a good tune, chef Escoffier's dessert was based on simple, good ingredients.
So, to make the best Poire Belle Hélène, pick the tastiest fresh pears, such as Poire Williams - or Comice pears which are sweetest. It's best to pick them medium ripe to firm. If pears are as hard as turnips, even poaching won't make them taste better.
For more on types of pears for cooking, poaching and baking,
see the French guide to Pears (poires).
We can cheat and just use a good quality store-bought vanilla ice cream. Here in Paris we are lucky to find the best ones in many wonderful pâtisseries. However, if you'd like to make your own, I strongly recommend a slight twist to the flavours. Serve with chestnut vanilla ice cream - it's fabulous together!
Finish the Belle Helene dessert with the most luscious warmed sauce. Use a good quality dark chocolate with a minimum of 65% cacao. Ideally, aim for a 70% cacao bittersweet chocolate to make this chocolate sauce recipe.
Easy Recipe - How to Poach the Pears
To poach pears in syrup, it's simpler than it looks. It uses the same recipe technique for these vanilla poached pears with coffee.
In a large saucepan, boil the water, sugar and the juice from a lemon to form a syrup. Add the vanilla powder, if using.
Peel the pears, leaving the stalk and the core intact. Ensure the pears are covered by the syrup by placing parchment paper on top and cover with a lid. Poach in the syrup for about 30 minutes until tender.
Remove the pears from the syrup and finely cut the ends off so that each pear can stand up right without falling over. Chill in the fridge until needed.
How to Serve the Chocolate Sauce
Pear Belle Hélène is served with the chocolate sauce warm. As you can see from some of the photos, the sauce thickened as it became cool in taking these pictures. After heating it up, it will be the right consistency.
The cooled sauce keeps for a week (sealed in a jam jar) in the fridge but it will solidify.
To reheat next day, either reheat gently directly in the jar in a pan of simmering water or in the microwave for about 30 seconds (it's best not to over cook as the chocolate will burn). Alternatively, reheat very gently in a saucepan with a little more whole milk or cream.
How to Serve Pear Belle-Hélène
According to Escoffier in his Guide Culinaire, he serves his Belle-Hélène dessert with the pears on top of the ice cream, dribbled with hot chocolate sauce and garnished with praline violets.
As praline violets are not easy to find, I recommend nuts. Toast halzelnuts, flaked almonds or walnuts for a few seconds under the grill or for 2-3 minutes in a non-stick frying pan without any oil.
If your guests are expecting an 'encore' for your culinary performance, then I say serve with a chocolate hazelnut macaron (recipe in Mad About Macarons).
Otherwise the Poire Belle Hélène goes well with mendiants and chocolate chip hazelnut cookies.
All these accompaniments act as the chorus. So sing along with Offenbach's Belle-Hélène music and enjoy a classic poire dessert! Need another pear recipe? Then try this classic Parisian Pear Almond Bourdaloue Tart.
Poire Belle Helene
Ingredients
- 6 pears (Williams or Comice, medium firm) peeled, stalk and core left intact
- 250 g (9oz/ 1¼ cups) sugar
- 500 ml (18fl oz/ 2 cups) water
- 1 lemon, juice only
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla powder or extract (optional)
- 1 litre tub vanilla ice cream
- 40 g (1.5oz/ 2 tbsp) broken hazelnuts or flaked almonds, grilled (for garnish)
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, boil the water, sugar and lemon to form a syrup. Add the vanilla powder, if using.
- Peel the pears, leaving the stalk and the core intact. Ensure the pears are covered by the syrup by placing parchment paper on top and cover with a lid. Poach in the syrup for about 30 minutes until tender.
- Remove the pears from the syrup and finely cut the ends off so that each pear can stand up right without falling over. Chill in the fridge until needed.
Assembly:
- In each serving dish, serve 1-2 scoops of ice cream, top with a pear and pour over the warm sauce. Garnish with grilled or toasted hazelnuts and serve immediately.
Notes
Chocolate Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 150 ml (5 floz/¾ cup) whole milk
- 100 ml (3.5 floz/ ½ cup) whipping/heavy cream 30% fat (crème fleurette in France)
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla powder or extract
- 100 g (3.5oz /½ cup) dark, bittersweet chocolate min. 65% cacao, broken into pieces
- 1 tablespoon caster (superfine) sugar optional (to personal taste, depending on chocolate used)
- pinch salt fleur de sel (Maldon or Celtic sea salt)
Instructions
- Heat together the milk and cream in a saucepan over a medium heat with the vanilla until nearly boiling.
- Turn off the heat, add the dark chocolate pieces and salt. Whisk until the chocolate sauce is smooth.
- Although optional, depending on the chocolate used, taste test and add a little sugar if necessary.
Notes
This recipe was first published 2 March 2019 but has now been completely updated with a separate post for the sauce.
Sarah
Last time I made this was with tinned pears (don’t tell) but made them poached for the first time. Thanks for all your instructions - so easy to follow and that chocolate sauce is incredible!
Jill Colonna
Nothing wrong with tinned pears! However, I'm thrilled you found poaching them easy in the end. Agreed, that sauce just transforms it! Thanks so much for taking the time to review, Sarah.
Cynthia M Woodman
This is my all-time favorite dessert!
ashok
My Family Loved it. I am definitely sharing Guys, Thanks For sharing this Great Recipe. this recipe and this website with my friend. Hope they also love it. Thank you again for sharing such a great recipe.
Nickki
You can’t beat the classics! Pears and chocolate sauce was my favourite pudding when I was little - although I have to confess, the pears were always tinned! I really should try making it with fresh pears one day.
Jill Colonna
Oh the delicious memories!
Janice
Well, I didn't know that. I thought Nelly Melba was the only singer with her own dessert. Your version looks really delicious, such a classic.
Jill Colonna
Aha! That's the other classic French dessert that was also created by Auguste Escoffier, thanks to inspiration from a singer! This was his first one.
Camilla Hawkins
Love this recipe, so reminds me of my childhood as mum would often make pears and chocolate sauce served with ice cream:-)
Jill Colonna
When a dessert is a happy childhood memory, it tastes even better! Thanks, Camilla.
Peggy Woods
My husband has served poached pears for desserts but never served atop ice cream with a chocolate sauce. This looks and sounds delicious! Thanks for your recipe!
Jill Colonna
Pleasure, Peggy. You can play him the music from Offenbach in the background too!
sherry
Yum to chocolate and hazelnuts together! Love the look of that thick choc sauce and such a sweet story about the chef and the opera singer. Cheers, Sherry
Jill Colonna
Glad you love the hazelnuts with the chocolate, Sherry - personally, I feel it makes the dish with a little bit of crunch. Yes, we love stories with recipes! Thanks for popping in.
Parisbreakfast
I am moving to St Germain de Laye perera ly next door. I'm good at dishwashing..putting away things?
To hell with Paris
You need this link btw...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSA-W-TV830
Jill Colonna
Too funny, Carol. Great extract from La Belle Hélène - thanks. I posted another one this morning on FB, which is more like The Boat That Rocked! Hilarious.
Christina Conte
Would you believe I've never tried this? As much as I hear Cynthia say it's her favorite dessert, you'd think I would have by now! My mother makes poached pears with wine, so it's close, but no cigar! I must give this a try when the pears are ripe/right! 🙂
Jill Colonna
Never had it? Well, I hope you do - especially if it's just to follow a bit of French history! For something so simple, it's so good.
You have cigars with poached pears? I tease. Love cigars too (Antoine's grandfather made them to accompany ice cream and it left a great memory with him).