Regal Pear and Chocolate Pavlova Crown

Serves	6 to 8
Prep time	45 minutes
Allergy	Egg, Milk
Dietary	Vegetarian
Meal type	Dessert, Lunch
Misc	Gourmet, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold
Occasion	Birthday Party, Casual Party, Christmas, Formal Party, Thanksgiving
Region	British
By author	Karen S Burns-Booth

A regal dessert fit for a queen - light chewy meringue with chocolate and mulled pears are married with a swirl of vanilla Chantilly cream for an extra special treat.

Ingredients

ready-made meringue pavlova base (or home-made meringues or meringue pavlova base)
100g melted chocolate, minimum 75% cocoa solids (I used ORIGINAL BEANS CRU VIRUNGA 70% DARK CHOCOLATE from Forman & Field)
200g thick cream
100g icing sugar
1 vanilla pod (split in half and seeds scraped out)
4 to 6 mulled pears (I used Forman and Field's own MULLED PEARS)
edible gold glitter

Note

I used a ready-made pavlova base when I made this one as shown in the photos, but, home-made pavlova bases would be just as good if not better! An easy recipe that makes use of excellent pre-prepared ingredients, making it easy to prepare and yet HIGHLY suitable for regal events and street parties.

Directions

Step 1	Gently melt the chocolate in a bain marie, or in a container over boiling water, making sure the chocolate container is not in direct contact with the water. Allow the chocolate to cool slightly.
Step 2	Pour the melted chocolate over the base of the pavlova. Sit the mulled pears over the top of the melted chocolate on the pavlova base, pushing them in firmly - depending on the size of the pears and the pavlova base, you should be able to use 4 to 6 pears.
Step 3	Add the sifted icing sugar, with the seeds of a vanilla pod to the thickened cream and whisk on a high speed until the sugar and vanilla has been incorporated. Chill for 30 minutes before using.
Step 4	When you are ready to serve the dessert, take the chilled cream out of the fridge and spoon, pour or drizzle it all over the base of the pavlova as well as over the pears. Any cream left over, serve on the side with the pavlova.
Step 5	Sprinkle edible gold glitter or powder over the whole dessert and serve straight away.....makes a regal dessert for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee street party, as well as for any special celebrations such as weddings, engagements and christenings.