Chocolate Pear Pudding...

I've had this recipe for years.. The first time I saw Nigella Lawson made this recipe was on Express. I fell in love with its simplicity and the fact that it looks as if I spent hours in the kitchen making it. Before this, I could never find canned pears. So I've substituted the pears with peaches, and the outcome is just as delightful. Recently, to the start of the new year.. a friend I met on twitter organized a Banana Leaf Tweet Up at her place in Puchong. And this baked sponge seemed a perfect present to take to a dinner party :)

It can be eaten as is... or with chocolate sauce. Or on a hot day like this, vanilla ice cream is match made in heaven for this pudding :D

I guess I've hinted earlier, it's one of Miss Nigella's recipe. Got it from her Nigella Express book. I followed her exact recipe.. except I used 1 825g can of pear halves instead of 2 415g cans. No biggie :) If you don't have pear halves.. try other canned fruits.. I've tried with peach halves... excellent! I've also used more cocoa powder than stated in recipe.. Everyone could use more chocolatey goodness every now and then right? ;)


Ingredients:

2 x 415g cans pear halves in juice
125g plain flour
25g cocoa powder
125g caster sugar
150g soft butter, plus extra for greasing
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200degC and grease a 22cm square ovenproof dish with butter
2. Drain the pears and arrange them on the base of the dish. I don't usually cut the pears but if you're bringing it to a party of 100 and you only brought enough for 8 servings.. then I'd advise you to cut the pears into smaller pieces.
3. Put all the remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix until you have a batter with a soft dropping consistency (I have no idea what this means but the batter was quite thick) I hand-mixed the batter. Nigella used the food processor. Same big difference :p 
4. Spread the brown batter over the pears, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes
5. Let stand out of the oven for 5 to 10 minutes and then cut into slabs
6. Makes 6-8 servings ;)