Lemon poached pears in a chocolate cup with a chilli chocolate sauce

Serves 2

Preparation time 20 minutes

Cooking time 20 minutes

Ingredients

2 firm short, rounded pears from Chegworth Valley

100g caster sugar

½ lemon from Only Organics

50g butter from Real France

50g soft brown sugar

1 large egg from Turnips

½ teaspoon of vanilla extract

50g self-raising flour

50g good, dark chocolate, melted from Artisan du chocolat

50g chilli chocolate, roughly chopped

150ml double cream

Preparation Method

Pare the skin from the pears, leaving the stalk in tact. Take a sliver from the bottom of the pear to flatten the base so it can stand unaided. Place in to a snug saucepan with the sugar and 400ml water. Add the lemon giving it a good squeeze in to the water beforehand.

Gently warm to dissolve the sugar and then simmer over a low heat for 15 minutes until they are just becoming tender. Remove the pears from the syrup and pat dry. Reserve the syrup in a jar to use again maybe for sorbet or poaching again.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Grease 2 teacups with a capacity of around 350ml.  Cream the butter and sugar together then whisk in the egg and the vanilla. Stir in the flour and the melted chocolate until you have a smooth batter.

Sit a pear in to each cup then spoon the cake batter carefully around. Place on a baking tray then bake for 18-20 minutes until the sponge is springy.

Meanwhile, make the sauce by warming the cream along with the chocolate. Whisk to a smooth dark sauce.

Serve the pear cups doused with the hot sauce and even a little cream or ice-cream.