Dessert Two Ways: Chocolate Dipped Pears & Sweet Strawberries

Spring has arrived!! With a million inches of rain, huge thunder, and lightning filling the sky! I love storms, but the one we had last night was a little too crazy for me. I am hoping that all this rain will mean pretty flowers, a bright green back yard, and lots of refreshing sunshine in a couple of days.

Do you like fruit for dessert? I love it!

I planned to bring fruit for dessert to dinner with some girlfriends on Friday night. In my head the afternoon prep time looked like this: make dessert, take photos of the dessert for my blog, clean up all the dishes so that the kitchen is spotless, heat up my husband’s dinner (leftovers from the night before), reapply  my make-up, leave early and arrive to dinner 5 minutes ahead of schedule.

Here’s what really happened: frantically made dessert and snapped a few pictures of it while destroying my kitchen and leaving a gigantic mess, rushed out the door while apologizing to my husband for not heating up his dinner, arrived 20 minutes late to dinner with my girlfriends, with remnants of the mornings make up.

Ah well. Maybe someday scenario one will happen.

At least they really liked this dessert! Right ladies?

And my amazing husband cleaned the kitchen for me! So thankful.

Pears dipped in dark chocolate. Really delicious.

Strawberries mixed with toasted almonds and a surprisingly sweet mixture of balsamic vinegar and brown sugar.

Perfectly light. Perfectly sweet. Perfect for dessert.

Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Dipped Pears

Adapted from Power Foods Cookbook

Ingredients: 

3 pears, sliced into spears

4 ounces dark chocolate

1 teaspoon heavy cream as needed

To make: 

Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Add cream if needed to help with smoothness of the chocolate. Let cool slightly.

Dip bottom quarter of each pear slice into the chocolate, using a spoon or knife to smooth it out. Set each slice onto parchment paper and refrigerate until chocolate has set, at least 15 minutes.

Strawberries with Toasted Almonds & Brown Sugar Balsamic Glaze

Adapted from Power Foods Cookbook

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 1/2  cups strawberries, hulled and quartered

1/2 cup toasted almonds

To make: 

Combine balsamic vinegar and brown sugar, stirring until smooth. Add brown sugar & balsamic mixture over the strawberries until all are coated. Sprinkle toasted almonds on top.

Enjoy!