Pear, pecan and caramel puddings

If you're a sweet tooth, this one's for you! This pear, pecan and caramel pudding is the perfect combination of cake, sauce and fruit. Best served hot, it's an ideal after dinner treat for the colder months. 

Preparation time

10 minutes

Cooking time

1 hour, 10 minutes

Serves

6

Ingredients

Method

• Place sugar, cinnamon, vanilla bean and seeds, star anise and 1 litre water in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to the boil.
• Reduce heat to low and bring to a simmer, add pears and cook until tender (25-30 minutes), then set aside.
• Meanwhile, stir sugar and 60ml water in a saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves (3 minutes), bring to the boil and cook without stirring until caramel (6-8 minutes).
• Add diced butter to caramel (be careful, hot caramel will spit), whisk to combine, then add cream and a pinch of sea salt, whisk to combine and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 180C. Combine pecans, flour, baking powder and cinnamon in a mixing bowl.
• In a separate bowl combine eggs, brown sugar, milk and vanilla, then gradually add melted butter, stirring until incorporated.
• Add pecan mixture to egg mixture in 2 batches, stirring to combine between each addition.
• Divide batter among six 1½-cup buttered ramekins and pour caramel on top.
• Drain pears (discard liquid), then gently push a pear into the centre of each ramekin (the batter should reach just below the rim).
• Dust with raw caster sugar and bake until puddings have a golden crust and an inserted skewer withdraws clean (30 minutes).
• Serve puddings warm dusted with icing sugar with ginger ice-cream to the side.