Pear, honey and ginger pudding

This dessert is pure autumn comfort. Try it with the more fragrant wild ginger if you can get your hands on some (it’s available online from herbies.com.au), or finely grate fresh ginger into the batter for a fresh lift.

Prep time 25 mins, cook 35 mins

Serves 6-8 (pictured p114)

90 gm honey

30 gm butter, diced

4 William pears, peeled, cored and cut into rough 2cm pieces

Icing sugar, for dusting

Vanilla bean ice-cream, to serve

Ginger sponge topping

150 gm (1 cup) plain flour

1¾ tsp baking powder

150 gm softened unsalted butter

130 gm raw caster sugar

3 eggs

½ tsp ground ginger, or to taste (see note) 1 Preheat oven to 170C. Bring honey and butter to the boil in a saucepan, add pears, reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pears are just tender (5-7 minutes). Spoon into a 1.5-litre baking dish.

2 For ginger sponge topping, sieve flour and baking powder into a bowl. Beat butter and sugar in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until pale and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well between additions, then beat in ginger, stir in flour mixture, then spoon batter evenly over pear. Bake until top is risen and golden brown (30-35 minutes). Dust with icing sugar and serve with ice-cream.

Wine suggestion Late-harvest pinot gris.