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.
Keep up to date with
dish weekly recipes,
food news, and events.
latest issue:
HOLIDAY
dish HOLIDAY is your go-to magazine for summer entertainment. Chock-full of recipes to share in the warmer weather dish HOLIDAY is a one-off special edition, designed for the beach, bach, boat or back yard. Different than a regular issue of dish, it is dedicated to making the most of warm-weather leisure time, including barbecue and salad recipes, Spotify playlists, a beach read, crosswords and puzzles, fish and chip and ice cream guides and much more.
This issue is not part of the 12-month subscription and is available only at retail in Aotearoa New Zealand.