Pear, Cardamom and Chocolate Puddings
Delicately spiced with cardamom and rich with chocolate, these mini oven-steamed puddings are best served hot from the oven.
Hands-on time 25min.
Cooking time about 45min. Makes 6
FOR THE TOPPING
• 25g caster sugar
• 1tbsp golden syrup
• 1 large conference pear, about 200g, peeled, cored and cut into 1½cm pieces
FOR THE SPONGE
• 125g butter, softened, plus extra to grease
• 8 green cardamom pods
• 125g caster sugar
• 2 medium eggs, beaten
• 175g self-raising flour
• 1tbsp cocoa powder
• 75g dark chocolate, melted and cooled
1 First make the topping. In a small pan, gently heat the sugar, golden syrup and 1tsp water, stirring, until melted and bubbling. Turn up the heat to medium, stir in the pear and cook for 2min, until slightly softened. Remove from heat. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4.
2 For the sponge, thoroughly grease
6 x 175ml mini pudding (dariole) moulds. Using a pestle and mortar, bash the cardamom pods to break the husks. Pick out seeds (discard husks), then grind until fine. Using a handheld electric whisk, beat the butter, sugar and ground cardamom in a large bowl, until pale and fluffy.
3 Add the eggs, flour, cocoa powder, cooled chocolate and a pinch of salt and beat until smooth and combined. Strain the pear, reserving syrup, and divide the fruit equally between the moulds (make sure it’s in a single layer). Spoon ½tsp syrup into each mould (reserve the remaining syrup for serving).
4 Divide sponge mixture between the moulds, spread to level, and place in a roasting tin. Pour freshly boiled water around the moulds, so that it comes
⅓ of the way up the outsides. Cover tin with foil and bake for 35-40min, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of a pudding comes out clean.
5 Carefully remove from oven. Using a tea towel to protect your hands, lift out the puddings, and turn out on to serving plates. Drizzle over the reserved syrup; serve with cream or custard.
PER PUDDING 482cals, 6g protein, 23g fat (14g saturates), 61g carbs (38g total sugars), 3g fibre GET AHEAD
Make puddings up to 2hr ahead. Remove from water bath; leave to cool completely, then set aside. To serve, unmould and serve at room temperature.