Malted chocolate ganache with white wine poached pears and Earl Grey gelato cookies

Ingredients

For the cookies:

• 60g butter
• 4 large egg whites
• 1.5g salt
• 85g icing sugar
• 85g caster sugar
• 180g plain flour
• 1 Earl Grey tea bag

For the ganache:

• 200ml cream
• 50g Ovaltine
• 1 tbsp whole milk
• 100g 70 per cent dark chocolate

For the pears:

• 240ml white wine
• 420ml water
• Half a cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 200g caster sugar
• 2 medium-sized pear

Directions

1. First, make the ganache. Heat the cream, Ovaltine and milk together in a small pot, but don’t let it boil – if you have a thermometer, 84C is perfect. Pour the cream mix over the chocolate then use a stick blender to combine. Pass the mix through a fine sieve into whatever container you want to set it in and chill in a fridge overnight.
2. Next, make the gelato cookies. Preheat your oven to 150C then place the butter into a saucepan over a medium heat. Cook until the butter is browned and smells nutty then reserve. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the egg whites, salt and both of the sugars together on a low speed until well combined.Add the butter slowly while increasing to a medium speed, then add the flour, dried tea (take the tea leaves out of the bag) and mix until smooth. Pour the batter into a small container and let it rest for an hour.
3. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Using a small spatula, spread the mix as thinly as possible then place into the oven to bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. You might need to do this in batches depending on how much mixture you have. These will keep in a sealed container for a few days so you can prepare them ahead of time if you like.
4. To prepare the pears, add the white wine, water, cinnamon, lemon and sugar to a saucepan. Place over a low heat and bring to a gentle simmer. 5. Core out the centre of each pear and remove the stem – you can either remove the skin or leave it on, depending on your preference. Chop the pears in half lengthways, then place in the poaching liquid. Cover with a circle of baking paper and cook for around 30 minutes, turning occasionally, until the pears are tender.
5. Remove the pears from the stove and cool. At this point, you can either discard the poaching liquid or reduce it to a syrup to serve with the pears.
6. To serve, remove the ganache from the fridge and scoop into serving dishes if necessary. Break up the cookies and divide between serving dishes, then top each dish with half a poached pear before serving. 

Recipe by Jess Murphy, photography by Nathalie Márquez-Courtney

Originally published in the February 2021 issue of Food&Wine Magazine, click here to read the issue online

Click here for more dessert recipes 

Tips

"Even if you’re just sitting on the couch with your housemate or parents, Valentine’s Day always calls for chocolate. This recipe is really easy to make and is so, so tasty. I’ve set the ganache in sundae glasses here, but you could just as easily set it in a container and scoop it out to serve. The cookies are designed to be used as shovels, and I’ve used Earl Grey tea here, but you could just as easily use any other variety – simply pick your favourite. I’ve included a recipe for white wine poached pears here, but I usually buy mine already poached from Sheridans Cheesemongers – they’re reasonably priced and full of flavour." - Jess Murphy