Vanilla Poached Pears with Chocolate Sauce and Ice Cream (a.k.a. Poire Belle Helene)

• 6 cups water
• 3 cups sugar
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1 vanilla bean
• 6 firm pears such as Bosc or Bartlett
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 quart store-bought vanilla-bean ice cream
• Wafer cookies, for serving

1. Combine the water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, and lemon zest in a medium saucepan.
2. Split vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape out the seeds and add both the seeds and the pod to the pan.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes.
4. Peel the pears.
5. Reduce the poaching liquid to a simmer and add the pears.
6. Cook until just tender (the tip of a paring knife will go through the flesh of a pear with just a little resistance), about 15 minutes.
7. Remove the pan from the heat and cool the pears in the poaching liquid, until completely cooled, about 45 minutes.
8. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over low heat.
9. Put the chocolate and butter into a medium-size bowl.
10. Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir until smooth and glossy.
11. Serve the pears with a scoop of ice cream, a little pear-poaching syrup and warm chocolate sauce drizzled over the top.
12. Garnish with a wafer cookie and serve.

water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, lemon, vanilla bean, bartlett, heavy cream, bittersweet chocolate, unsalted butter, vanillabean ice cream, cookies

Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/vanilla-poached-pears-with-chocolate-sauce-and-ice-cream-aka-poire-belle-helene-recipe.html (may not work)