CHOCOLATE AND SHERRY BAKED PEARS

These pears are very low effort, but really moreish. Don’t let the marzipan throw you off: it bakes and starts to caramelise, giving everything a lot more flavour.

SERVES 4-6

3 large ripe pears

60g marzipan (natural/white or golden both work well)

30g dark chocolate

(70% cocoa solids)

2-3 amaretti biscuits

1 tbsp soft dark brown sugar 100ml dry sherry

1 Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5.

2 Peel the pears and cut in half vertically. Using a teaspoon, remove the core and middle of each half, creating a tablespoonsized indent for the filling.

3 Chop the marzipan into bite-size pieces, then chop the chocolate roughly the same size. Crush the amaretti biscuits.

4 In a bowl, mix together the marzipan, chocolate, brown sugar and crushed amaretti biscuits. Pour in 20ml of the sherry and stir to coat.

5 Take a heaped tablespoon of the mixture and use to fill the indent in the middle of a pear half. Repeat with the remaining filling and pear halves.

6 Put the pear halves, stuffed-side up, in a roasting tray in a single layer, then pour over the remaining sherry and cover tightly with foil.

7 Bake for 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake for a further 10 minutes until golden and sticky.

8 Remove the pears from the oven and leave them to cool slightly, then serve warm either on their own or with ice cream or whipped cream.

9 These pears are best eaten freshly baked, but they can also be enjoyed cold or chilled.

10 The pears will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in a moderate oven for 7-10 minutes before serving.