Pear and Chocolate Cobbler

This was my post Chirstmas treat. I'd had a can of pears hanging around in the cupboard for a while and this is the perfect recipe for them. Of course Hugh says use fresh but tinned are just as good. Yum!

Pear and Chocolate Cobbler (adapted from River Cottage Light and Easy)
(Serves 6)

2 tins pears, drained
100ml apple or pear juice
1 tbsp runny honey
50g dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids)

For the topping
100g ground almonds
50g brown rice flour
2 tsp baking powder
50g light soft brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tbsp rapeseed oil

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 1.5 litre ovenproof dish.

Slice the pears and then spread them into a roughly equal layer in the ovenproof dish. Pour the apple or pear juice all over the pears, and then drizzle over the honey. Break the chocolate into small pieces and distribute evenly over the fruit.

Sift the ground almonds, rice flour, baking powder and sugar into a bowl. Add the eggs and rapeseed oil and beat together until it forms a thick batter.

Drop the batter in 6 large dollops around the edge of the dish, partially covering the pears. Bake for 35-40 mins or until the cobbler topping is firm and golden brown.

Leave the cobbler to settle for 10 mins or so, then serve.

Pear and Vanilla Smoothie

This is a delicious smoothie full of healthy goodness with the pear and the spinach. I was a bit worried about the spinach but you can't taste it as the sweetness of the pear comes through.

Pear and Vanilla Smoothie (adapted from Deliciously Ella)

(Serves 1)

1 pear

200ml milk

a big handful of spinach

a handful of oats

1 tbsp almond butter

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Slice the pear into pieces, taking out the core. Then place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Serve.

Spelt and Spinach Salad with Prosciutto and Pear

I made this quite by accident, I suddenly realised looking through the cookbook this recipe comes from that I had all the ingredients and so made a last minute change to my meal plan. It's not usually my sort of thing but as I know that parma ham goes well with melon I though I'd give it a go with pear and it was delicious, the spelt added extra bite.

Spelt and Spinach Salad with Prosciutto and Pear from (Super Grains &Seeds by Amy Ruth Finegold)
(Serves 4)

200g spelt
handful fresh thyme
100g baby spinach
2 pears, sliced
12 slices prosciutto
salt and pepper

For the dressing
3 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
6 tbsp olive oil

Put the spelt in a pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over a high heat and then cook according to packet instructions. When cooked, drain and leave to cool.

Make the dressing by whisking 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar together with the oil.

Pour the dressing over the spelt and sprinkle in the thyme. Mix in the spinach and season with salt and pepper.

Put the spelt, spinach and thyme mixture onto a plate or into a lunchbox, and layer the pears and prosciutto on top.

Drizzle the extra 1 1/2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar over the top and serve.

Blackberry, Pear and Apple Traybake

I was bored a couple of weekends ago and so decided to make some cake to take into work as it's always appreciated with morning coffee. This went down really well, the fruit kept the cake lovely and moist and was perfect. I also heated some up and had it with ice cream for pudding one evening.

Blackberry, Pear and Apple Traybake (from Fuss Free Flavours)
(Makes 16 large squares)

110g butter, softened
125g light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
190g self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch mixed spice
2 tbsp milk
1 unripe pear, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 eating apple, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
a handful of blackberries
1 tbsp demerara sugar

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line a 20 x 20cm baking tin with parchment paper.  

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.

Gently fold in the flour, baking powder and mixed spice, with a metal spoon, adding milk to loosen the mixture so it can be easily spread.

Spread 2/3s of the mixture into the tin. Arrange the pear and apple slices on top and scatter the blackberries over, gently pressing them into the gaps between the pear slices. Cover with the rest of the cake batter.

Sprinkle the demerara sugar over and bake for 30 – 35 mins until risen and golden brown, and when a skewer comes out clean. Leave in the pan to cool and serve.

Pear and Ginger Chutney

As well as making pickles, I also made chutney for the first time over the summer. This came about as I had a huge amount of pears floating around and wanted to do something productive with them! I also made pear and ginger jam but that was a complete flop as when it cooled and I came to eat it, it had set so solid I couldn't actually get it out the jar! Epic fail, but I shall try again. The chutney on the other hand worked! Hurrah! It was lovely and sweet and sour, just as chutney should be. I finished a jar last night on a brie and bacon toastie. really tasty!

Pear and Ginger Chutney (from National Trust Edible Gifts)

1.35kg pears, peeled, cored and chopped
225g onions chopped
225g raisins chopped
50g stem ginger finely chopped
350g demerara sugar
400ml white wine vinegar
2 oranges, grated rind and juice
15g dried root ginger
15g whole cloves

Put the the pears, onions and raisins in a large pan with the other ingredients except the root ginger and cloves. Tie these in a muslin square and add to pan. Bring to the boil slowly, stirring frequently to dissolve sugar.

Simmer for one and a half to two hours until thick, stirring occasionally. Pour into prepared jars, cover, and store for one month before using.

Marble Pear Traybake

I could not get this recipe to cook. I put it in for the time the recipe said and it was still uncooked in the middle. I ended up putting it back three times and turning it over before it was fully cooked. I think if I was to make it again I would put some of the cake mixture in the bottom, put the pear in the middle and cover with more batter then cook it to stop the bottom from being soggy. Otherwise it was a very moist and tasty cake.

Marble Pear Traybake (from Wellsway School)

100g caster sugar

100g soft margarine
2 eggs
100g self raising flour
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 pear (fresh or tinned)
Preheat oven to 180ºC. Grease and line a baking tin.

Cream the sugar and margarine together.

In a small bowl beat the egg with a fork. Add the beaten egg a little at a time, to the margarine and sugar.

Sieve the flour and baking powder into mixture and fold in using a metal spoon.

Core and chop the pear into small pieces, Scatter pieces of pear into the lined caked tin.

Spoon half of the plain mixture into the tin. Stir in the cocoa to the remaining cake mixture.

Spoon the chocolate mixture into the baking tin and then swirl the two mixtures together to create a marble effect.

Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes golden brown and springy to the touch.

Rhubarb and Pear Crumble

Another crumble! This is the last one I made during half term, it's a Rhubarb and Pear crumble and it was delicious, so good with ice cream! I still have more rhubarb so I'm trying to think of lovely things to do with it.

Rhubarb and Pear Crumble (from Good Food Magazine March 2007)
(Serves 6)

3 ripe pears

600g rhubarb

100g golden caster sugar

finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange

 

For the crumble:

175g plain flour
50g rolled oats
100g unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
50g caster sugar
 

Preheat oven to 200C.

 

For the topping, put the flour, butter and sugar in a bowl and rub with your fingers until you have a mixture that looks like breadcrumbs, mix in the oats and then set aside in the fridge.

 

Peel the pears and chop into large chunks, then chop the rhubarb into finger-length batons. Tip into a large ovenproof dish and toss with the sugar and orange zest and juice.

 

Crumble over the topping and bake for 40 mins until golden and bubbling at the sides. Serve with ice cream.

Pear and Honey Muffins

I had all sorts of issues with these muffins. I made them last weekend, making the first batch on Saturday morning using plain flour. Which came out of the oven looking fine:

They hadn't risen much but weren't a disaster. I left them on the side to cool and when I came back they had sunk, and when tasted didn't quite taste cooked in the middle. I was meant to be taking them to a party the following day and well I couldn't.

So I made a new batch the following morning using self raising flour and this was the result when cooled:

Much more risen and much better looking cakes! The two muffins below are a comparison, the top one is the second batch using self-raising flour, the bottom is the first batch using plain flour.

So I think the answer is use self raising flour when using American recipes to bake. Is there some kind of raising agent in all-purpose flour, which is what the original recipe called for? Is that why mine made with plain flour failed?

Pear and Honey Muffins (adapted from Crepes of Wrath)
(Makes 12-16 muffins)

275g self-raising flour

¾ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

170g unsalted butter, cubed

200ml honey

3 eggs, room temperature

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 pear, peeled, cored and mashed

1 pear, peeled, cored and diced

 

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line the muffin tins with paper cases.

 

Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter until smooth and creamy, about 3 mins, then add in the honey and beat until combined. Add in the eggs, one at a time, until combined , then add in your vanilla and mashed pear.

 

Gradually fold in the flour mixture, then fold in the diced pear. Divide the batter amongst your paper cases.  Bake for 18-20 mins. Allow to cool before removing from the tins.