Ice Cream Flavor Search Ends In Delicious Pear Victory

Caramelized Pear and Toasted Pecan is the Scoop: The Häagen-Dazs® Flavor Search winner! Created by Leslie Zoerb of Buffalo, N.Y., and perfected with the help of master chefs, this flavor was selected out of the 5,000 entrants from across the country vying to become the next irresistible flavor of Häagen-Dazs ice cream.

Unable to bake a birthday pear tart due to a winter storm power outage, Leslie created a luscious impromptu dessert to use her quickly melting vanilla bean ice cream. Taking advantage of her gas stove, she caramelized pears in butter, sugar and rum and added toasted pecans for a crunchy surprise. What began as an impromptu invention will now be transformed into a Limited Edition Häagen-Dazs flavor.


Other flavors that made it into the finals included Blueberry Belgium Waffle from Christine of Ewing, N.J., and Coco y Cacao from Ken of Lafayette, Calif.

"It was a tough decision; we were all awed by all the delicious entries," said Josh Gellert, Häagen-Dazs brand representative. "But the sweet pear ice cream blended with morsels of caramelized pear and crunchy toasted pecan pieces is a mouthwatering addition to the Häagen-Dazs family of flavors." America also had the opportunity to weigh in on this very difficult decision, voicing its opinion on both the selection of the final three and the winner online or at taste tests at select Häagen-Dazs® Shops.

This winning limited edition flavor is available nationwide at all major and local Häagen-Dazs retailers starting in mid-September 2007. It will also be promoted in the October issue of Gourmet magazine.

For full rules and details on Scoop: The Häagen-Dazs Flavor Search, visit Häagen-Dazs.com/ Scoop.

Cranberry Poached Pears with Caramelized Pear and Toasted Pecan Ice Cream

4 small firm-ripe pears (4-5 oz each)

11/4 cups cranberry juice cocktail

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cinnamon stick

1 pint Häagen-Dazs Caramelized Pear and Toasted Pecan Ice Cream

With an apple corer or paring knife, remove cores from the bottom, preserving shape of the pears. (Or cut pears in half and remove core.) Peel pears.

Combine 11/4 cups water, cranberry juice, sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon stick in a 2-3-quart saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Add pears, cover and simmer about 20 minutes, turning pears several times until evenly cooked through but not too soft.

Remove pears with a slotted spoon and refrigerate. Discard cinnamon stick. Bring cranberry mixture to a boil and cook 10 minutes or until reduced to about 2/3 cup. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature, stirring often until smooth and syrupy.

Place pears on dessert plates or bowls. Add a scoop of Caramelized Pear and Toasted Pecan Ice Cream and drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons cranberry syrup.

Makes 4 servings.

About the Author

The winning ice cream flavor was created using caramelized pears in butter, sugar and rum and added toasted pecans for a crunchy surprise.

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by: FOOD Total views: 13 Word Count: 510 Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2008 Time: 11:22 AM 0 comments