11
sticky coffee and pear
pudding
30ml/2 tbsp ground coffee
15ml/1 tbsp near boiling water
4 small ripe pears
juice ½ orange
100g/4 oz softened butter
100g/4 oz golden caster sugar
plus 15ml/1 tbsp for baking
2 eggs beaten
50g/2 oz self raising flour
50g/2 oz toasted skinned
hazelnuts, finely ground
45ml/3 tbsp maple syrup
fine strips of orange rind to
decorate
Pour about 2½ cm /1 inch hot water
into the cooking pot. Place an up-
turned saucer or metal pastry ring in
the base, then fit the lid and switch
the slow cooker to High. Grease
and base line a deep 18cm/7 in fixed
case base tin or souffle dish
Put the ground coffee in a small bowl
and pour the water over. Leave
to infuse for 4 minutes, then strain
through a fine sieve. Peel, halve and
core the pears. Thinly slice across
the pear halves part of the way
through, then brush them all over
with the orange juice.
Beat the butter and the larger quan-
tity of caster sugar together in a bowl
until light and fluffy. Gradually beat
in the eggs. Sieve the flour, then fold
into the mixture in the bowl. Add the
hazelnuts and liquid coffee. Spoon
the mixutre into the tin or souffle dish
and level the surface. Pat the pears
dry on kitchen paper and arrange in
a circle in the sponge mixture, flat
side down. Brush them with some of
the maple syrup, then sprinkle with
15ml/1 tbsp caster sugar.
Cover the top of the tin or souffle
dish with kitchen foil and place in the
cooking pot. Pour enough boiling
water around the tin or dish to come
slightly more than halfway up the
sides. Cover with a lid and cook for
3 - 3 1/2 hours until firm and well
risen. Leave the sponge to cool in
the tin for about 10 minutes, then
turn over onto a serving plate. Lightly
brush with the remaining maple
syrup, then decorate with orange
rind and serve with cream.
apple chutney
Piece of root ginger about
2.5cm/1 inch square
15ml/1 inch square
15ml/1 tbsp pickling spice
1.36 kg/3lb prepared sliced
cooking apples eg Bramleys
150g/5oz sultanas
150g/5 oz finely chopped onion
1 large clover garlic, peeled and
crushed
250g/9 oz dark brown sugar
250m/9 fl oz malt vinegar
Tie the root ginger and pickling
spice into a small piece of muslin.
Place all the ingredients into the
cooking pot and stir well. Place the
lid in position and cook on Low for
approximately 6 hours. At the end
of this time, remove the lid, stir the
ingredients then turn to High and
allow the mixture to boil for a further
30 - 60 minutes or until the required
consistency has been achieved.
Cool slightly and place in clean jars
and cover immediately. Makes
about 1.8kg/4lb.
