Pear – a little tipsy, and not just on chocolate
·Make the sugar syrup
Pour water into a pot, add sugar and lemon juice, and bring to a boil.
Prepare the pears
Peel the pears, leaving the stems on for a nice effect. You can trim a thin slice off the bottom so they'll stand upright on the plate. Add them to the pot and simmer gently for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and lift the pears out with a slotted spoon.
Melt the chocolate over a water bath
Set up a water bath: pour water into a pot and set a glass or metal bowl on top. Pour the milk into the bowl and add the broken-up chocolate. Stir until the chocolate melts and combines with the milk into a wonderful glossy sauce.
Choose your liqueur
Get matches or a flambé torch ready, along with your liqueur. Choose it carefully, since it really shapes the final flavour of the dessert. I went for Baron Hildprandt, a wonderfully fragrant yet crisp brandy made from ripe pears.
Flambé and drizzle with chocolate
Pour the liqueur over the pear on the plate and set it alight! Don't worry, there's nothing to it — it's simple and dramatic. Once the flame burns out, drizzle generously with the chocolate sauce, serve to your guests, and enjoy the applause. Happy flambéing!