WARM PEAR AND RAISIN BUCKLE WITH SIMPLE ALMOND CUSTARD

Preparation time 20 mins Cooking time 35 mins Serves 6-8

½ cup raisins, roughly chopped ¼ cup dark rum

1 Tbsp cinnamon sugar

¼ tsp ground ginger

2 pears, peeled, cut into wedges 175g unsalted butter, melted,

plus extra to grease

250ml buttermilk

2 free-range eggs

200g caster sugar, plus extra 100g 1½ cups self-raising flour, sifted 8 free-range egg yolks

Seeds of 1 vanilla bean

1 tsp almond essence

600ml thickened cream

STEP 1 Preheat oven to 180°C fanforced (200°C conventional). Combine raisins and rum in a small glass bowl and mix well. Set aside for 10 minutes to macerate. Put cinnamon sugar and ginger in a large bowl, add pears, toss and set aside.

STEP 2 Grease a 25cm, deep skillet pan with butter. Put butter, buttermilk, eggs and caster sugar in a large bowl and whisk until well combined. Fold in flour, then the raisin mixture. Pour batter into skillet and arrange pear wedges on top. Bake for 3035 minutes, until golden, just firm to touch and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. STEP 3 Meanwhile, combine yolks, vanilla seeds, almond essence and remaining sugar in a large bowl and whisk until light. Put cream in a medium saucepan and bring just to the boil over medium heat. Gradually whisk the cream into the egg mixture, then return to the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a flat-bottomed wooden spoon, until mixture coats the back of the spoon, then strain through a fine sieve. Serve the buckle warm, cut into wedges with hot custard on the side.

Warm pear and raisin buckle