Few desserts come more classic than this delightful poires belle helene. The dish is essentially poached pears with a chocolate sauce but certainly sounds so much more enticing with its beautiful enticing french name. The dessert was reputably invented by the godfather of haute cuisine, auguste escoffier in paris in the 19th century and purportedly named after the opera, la belle helen (the beautiful helen) by offenbach. Without a doubt, the ease of preparation and beautiful presentation make this dish a stunning dessert for a dinner party, which is bound to impress but is equally impressive at any meal. What is not to love about pears, chocolate and ice cream; heaven in the bowl.