# Chocolate pear pudding



## Ishbel (Dec 6, 2005)

*Chocolate pear pudding*
I made this for pudding on Sunday - everyone said it was very good - unfortunately, I couldn't taste it as it is quite sweet!  Recipe courtesy of a recipe card from a supermarket.
** 
 Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes, plus cooling
 
465g jar baby pears in vanilla syrup (or you can use freshly poached pears, cooled)
250g high choco solids dark (at least 70 per cent) chocolate, roughly broken
100ml milk
175g unsalted butter, softened
175g light muscovado sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten
150g self-raising flour
75g ground almonds
 
Preheat the oven to 190°C, gas mark 5. Grease and line a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin. Drain the pears, reserving the syrup. Slice the pears in half lengthways and arrange cut-side up in the base of the cake tin. 
 
Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl with the milk and melt over a pan of gently simmering water until smooth. Leave to cool slightly. Place the butter in a large bowl with the sugar and beat with an electric or balloon whisk until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs a little at a time, adding a couple of tablespoons of flour at the same time to prevent curdling. 
 
Stir in the melted chocolate, then sift in the remaining flour. Add the ground almonds and fold in lightly with a metal spoon until evenly combined. Spoon the mixture over the pears, smoothing out the top. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for about 15 minutes. 
 
Meanwhile, place the reserved syrup from the pears in a small saucepan and gently simmer until it is reduced by half and is slightly thickened. Before removing the pudding from the tin, make a few holes in the top using a skewer and spoon over the syrup, letting it soak in completely. Invert the pudding and serve warm, cut into wedges, with thick pouring cream. 
 
These pears are really delicious even without sponge. Make a simple pudding by pouring hot chocolate sauce over the pears and serving with ice cream.


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## Piccolina (Dec 6, 2005)

Delicious looking Ishbel! I have a recipe for French chocolate, pear and brioche bread pudding that is a bit similar to this. I know that you said it was sweet, but dark chocolate sometimes seems bitter to me, pehaps if you tried adding some milk chocolate, instead of all dark it would help to make the finished dish even sweeter


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## Ishbel (Dec 6, 2005)

I am diabetic


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## mish (Dec 6, 2005)

Ishbel said:
			
		

> *Chocolate pear pudding*
> I made this for pudding on Sunday - everyone said it was very good - unfortunately, I couldn't taste it as it is quite sweet! Recipe courtesy of a recipe card from a supermarket.
> 
> Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes, plus cooling
> ...


 
Ishbel, you had me at baby pears in vanilla syrup. Haven't seen that here in Californ-i-a. Curious, what is muscavado sugar? I've always liked the combo of pears and chocolate. Thanks, Ish.

Mish


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## Piccolina (Dec 6, 2005)

Hi Ish, I understand, there are some things I can't eat either because of my health. Thanks for sharing the recipe with us, even if you are not able to have some yourself


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## Piccolina (Dec 6, 2005)

mish said:
			
		

> Curious, what is muscavado sugar? I've always liked the combo of pears and chocolate. Thanks, Ish.


 It would be equal to medium to dark brown sugar in North America, Mish. The grains in musovado sugar are a bit coarse, and the taste is quite reminisent of molasses.


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## mish (Dec 6, 2005)

Ishbel, hope it's okay to call you Ish.

The Mish


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## Ishbel (Dec 6, 2005)

Certainly you can call me Ish, Mish.....   I'm usually called Izzy, but I don't mind what I'm called!   

The supermarket I got the card from have an own brand line of baby pears, in a rich syrup flavoured with a little vanilla.  I suppose you could either poach your own or add a little vanilla essence to a tin of pears in syrup.

My guests really liked this pud.  It looked great


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