• Preheat oven to 300F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a very clean and dry bowl, whisk your egg whites with mixer until stiff peaks start to form.
• Slowly start adding the Sugar and Salt and continue to whisk for another 5 - 8 minutes until you have a glossy mixture with firm peaks. If you pinch a bit of the mixture between your fingers and it still feels grainy, then continue to mix for another couple of minutes until it feels smooth.
• On a prepared parchment lined baking sheet, spoon out Meringue mixture and spread around to be about 2 - 3 inches thick. Using the back of the spoon or rubber spatula, "swirl" the top to give it some peaks.
• Bake in the preheated 300F oven and bake for 45 minutes - 1 hour. The outside will crack and the inside will be sticky and slightly soft.
• Remove from oven and cool.
• In a small saucepan, melt the Chocolate with the reserved pear syrup and 1 teaspoon ground ginger until smooth and glossy. Let cool slightly.
• In a large bowl, using a mixer, beat the Whipping Cream, Vanilla seeds and sifted Powdered Sugar together until soft peaks form. Do not over mix or you will end up with something more like butter.
• In a dry skillet, warm the Almond slivers. Set Aside.
• Cut the Pear Halves into 3 - 4 slices per half.

Assemble:

• Place the cool Meringue on your serving plate and top with half the Whipped Cream and half the Chocolate.
• Add the pears and top off with the Almond slivers and the remaining Whipped Cream and Chocolate. Grate over the Orange Zest.
• Serve and Enjoy!

Tips: The Meringue base can be made up to 2 days in advance and kept in a dry place, covered. (I kept mine in an airtight container at room temperature). Try to assemble within 2 hours or less of your serving time for best results.

Note: Use any fresh berries or fruit in season instead of the Pears and try other types of nuts for a completely new dessert.