Chocolate and Spiced Pear Pudding
Photography 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.
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126
We start by sharing what’s on the dish team’s radar, what we’re watching, listening to and reading. Harry Butterfield puts a twist on his Nonna’s agnolotti, Malissa Fedele reminds us of the importance of fibre, and Phoebe Holden fulfils a long-held dream, sitting down with Yotam Ottolenghi. Autumn is an abundant time, we make the most with pumpkin, kūmara, cabbage, cauliflower, feijoas, apples and pears. We’re dishing up dinners for two, including a Chicken Dumpling Lasagne, alongside easy weeknight meals. We honour our mums, revisit timeless classics, and add a little baking challenge. This issue, we encourage you to slow down, to enjoy writing your shopping list, and spending time in the kitchen. Because even when life feels relentless, there’s always space to share something delicious.