A simple and elegant dessert highlighting the beauty of whole grain amaranth.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

Chocolate Amaranth Pudding:

• ½ cup amaranth
• 2 cups oat milk (or other plant milk)
• 3.5 oz (100g) dark chocolate (about 3/4 cup chips)
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup

Poached Pears:

• 2 bosc pears (with stems if available)
• 5 cardamom pods (or 1 teaspoon ground cardamom)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 vanilla bean, split open lengthwise (or 1 tsp. vanilla)
• 2 Tbsp raw sugar (or brown sugar)
• 4 cups water

Instructions

Pudding:

1. Place amaranth into a small pot, add oat milk and bring to boil. Cover and simmer for about 35 minutes. Watch carefully, stirring frequently toward the end of the cooking time. Remove from the heat and leave to stand for 5 minutes, covered.
2. Chop the chocolate and stir into amaranth until completely melted, add maple syrup to taste.

Pears:

1. Place the spices, vanilla, sugar and water into a medium pot and bring to a low boil.
2. Carefully peel pears (running peeler from top to bottom and removing as much peel as possible) and place standing into the pot.  Simmer for about 25 minutes or until soft when tested with a knife. Remove and cool enough to handle.

To serve:

1. Quarter the pears lengthwise. You can leave one of the quarters with the stem or slice to remove.  Dice any remaining pear and dry on a kitchen towel to remove excess moisture. Repeat for remaining pears.
2. Now place diced pear pieces at the bottom of a ramekin.  Spoon pudding on top. Top with the pear slice.
3. Cool to room temperature.
4. Using a vegetable peeler, run the peeler along the edge of a chocolate bar to create curls directly on the dessert dish.  (They will break if you try to transfer them.)

Enjoy!

Adapted from Nirvana Cakery