Matcha and White Chocolate Pear Truffles

Line a large plate with a piece of parchment or wax paper.

Cut the pear in half lengthwise and use a melon baller or a round, metal, 1-teaspoon measuring spoon to remove the core from each half. Hold one of the halves in your palm with the cut side up, and use the melon baller or measuring spoon to scoop out 4 balls with perfectly rounded tops and flat bottoms. Collect the pear balls on the prepared plate and place them in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes. (Save the remaining scraps of pear for another use, such as a pear smoothie.)

Place the matcha powder in a small, fine-mesh strainer and set it near your work area. Have a fork at the ready.

In a glass 1-cup measuring cup or similarly sized vessel, melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave on 50% power for 1 minute. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted. If it’s not quite fully melted, return it to the microwave and continue heating in 15-second increments until smooth.

Immediately begin dipping the cold pear balls in the melted chocolate, but take note that the moisture from the pears can quickly seize up the chocolate and give it a grainy texture, so follow this method: Drop a pear ball into the melted chocolate with the rounded side facing down. Use the tines of the fork to quickly but delicately spoon some of the chocolate over the flat side of the ball to completely coat it. (The goal here is to encase the pear juices in the chocolate coating before they can seep into the rest of the chocolate and affect the texture.) Using the fork, carefully scoop and flip the truffle in one motion, pulling it from the chocolate and simultaneously turning it rounded side up. Place the truffle on the paper-lined plate. Dust the top with matcha powder before the chocolate sets. Repeat to coat the remaining pear balls in the white chocolate and dust them with matcha. Immediately place the truffles in the refrigerator to set.

If the melted chocolate begins to harden or becomes difficult to work with before you’ve finished dipping the pears, first try re-melting it briefly in the microwave. If it is too grainy, simply clean and dry the cup, melt fresh chocolate, and finish dipping the remaining pear balls.

For optimal flavor and texture, set the truffles out for 30 minutes to 1 hour to come to room temperature before serving. They will keep, refrigerated in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.