Chocolate and Spiced Pear Pudding
Photography by Manja Wachsmuth.
There isn’t a lot to say about this pudding other than grab your spoon and dig in!
Serves: 8
INGREDIENTS
4 large firm but ripe pears
¼ cup caster sugar
¼ teaspoon ground mixed spice
juice 1 lemon
Sponge
150 grams butter, very soft but not melted
2/3 cup caster sugar
1 cup plain flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
8 cup-capacity baking dish
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Peel, halve and core the pears. Cut each half into 4–5 wedges and place in the baking dish with all the remaining ingredients. Toss to coat the pears in the sugary mixture. Bake until the pears are tender but not falling apart, stirring occasionally.
Sponge: Place all the ingredients except the almonds in a food processor. Process briefly to form a soft batter.
Remove the pears from the oven and dollop the batter over the pears, spreading evenly. Scatter with the almonds and bake for about 18 minutes or until the top is just firm to the touch. It’s better to under-bake the pudding a little so it remains soft and luscious, rather than over-baking and making it dry.
Dust with icing sugar and serve with cream, ice cream or custard.
latest issue:
Issue #122
Our latest of dish is an absolute bumper issue, packed with over 70 recipes! We start by chatting with the MasterChef Australia judges and Kiwi contestant Ben Mcdonald before cooking up the very best of what’s in season. Then we make freezer meals easy and delicious with double-batch cooking. Next up we share some of our faves including Pretzel-crumbed Chicken Schnitty and French Onion Soup Mac and Cheese. Then we whip up warming curries, tempting dinners for two, epic sides like our Parmesan-crusted Roasted Potatoes, and crowd pleasers like our cover-star Miso French Onion Chicken. We finish up with irresistible sweet treats and a run-down of top Aussie shiraz!