Chocolate-Wrapped Pears

• 2 cups sugar
• 8 cups water
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 8 whole cloves
• 1/4 cup creme de menthe
• 12 firm, ripe pears with stems
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 1/4 pound unsalted butter, softened
• Fresh or crystallized mint

1. Dissolve the sugar in the water.
2. Add the lemon juice, spices and creme de menthe and simmer, tightly covered, for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Peel the pears carefully, leaving stems intact, and cut a slice off the bottoms so they will stand upright.
4. Poach the pears in gently boiling syrup until tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
5. Cool pears in the syrup and then chill thoroughly, preferably overnight.
6. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over warm water.
7. Add the butter and stir until it is melted and the mixture is smooth.
8. Remove the pears from the syrup and dry carefully with paper towel.
9. Dip each pear in the melted chocolate to coat evenly.
10. Use a spoon, if necessary, to fill in uncoated spots.
11. Lift the pears out of the chocolate to drain off excess.
12. Arrange on serving dish.
13. Decorate the top of each pear with a sprig of fresh or crystallized mint.
14. Chill until ready to serve.

sugar, water, lemons, cinnamon sticks, cloves, creme, firm, chocolate, butter, mint

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1625 (may not work)