Pear & Chocolate Sponge Pudding with Custard

 

I was on Instagram the other day (Food Obsessed Girl) and saw this pudding recipe.  It immediately caught my eye. It is a British style pudding.  In the U.K. the term "pudding" is used to describe any dessert.  It can be cake, pies, cookies, sponges, and, well, puddings.  I love British Puddings, and knew I had to make this one.

Actually puddings there are not the same as our milky puddings here in North America either. More often than not they will be in the form of a sponge, or a steamed sponge, and so it is with this lovely pudding.

It consists of a delicious sponge cake type of pudding, made from flour and almonds, and studded throughout with bits of fresh pear and dark chocolate.  Pears and chocolate are perfect partners!  They go together like peas and carrots!

There is the added crunch of toasted almonds on top of this delicious sponge, and it is fabulous served warm with lashings of warm custard spooned over top.  The custard recipe is also included.  It is the simplest custard I have ever made.   In fact, it is so simple that it just might replace my normal custard recipe!

This was fabulous! The cake part of the pudding was light and fluffy, quite moist because of the pears, but not stodgy or damp. The chocolate went perfectly.  And that custard, well, these were perfect together. I really hope that you will be inspired to bake one of these delicious desserts this weekend! You won't be sorry!!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE PEAR PUDDING WITH CUSTARD

There is nothing too out of the ordinary here.  Simple ingredients put together in the most delicious way possible!

For the pudding:

• 1 cup (225g) butter, softened
• 1 cup +3 TBS (225g) caster sugar (fine granulated sugar)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cup (200g) self raising flour
• 3/4 cup + 2 TBS (75g) almond flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 ripe medium sized pears, peeled, cored and small diced
• 2/3 cup (100g) dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup (40g) flaked almonds

For the custard:

• 4 cups (950ml) whole milk
• 4 large egg yolks (or 5 medium)
• 2/3 cup (125g) caster sugar
• 1/4 cup + 3/4 TBS cornstarch (corn flour)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

 

I used salted butter.  If you don't have any self raising flour you can easily make your own.  I tell you how here.  Its not hard at all.  Almond flour and ground almonds are pretty much the same thing. the almond flour I use is made from blanched almonds without the skin. I do not recommend using the one which contains almond skins.

Caster sugar is fine granulated sugar. You can use regular granulated sugar, but may have to cream it with the butter longer so that it completely gets amalgamated. Alternately you can whiz regular granulated sugar for 30 to 40 seconds in a food processor.

My pears were firm but ripe. You don't necessarily have to peel them, but I preferred to do so.  You could use semi-sweet chocolate chips if you don't have dark chocolate.  In either case they will need to be roughly the same size.

 

HOW TO MAKE PEAR PUDDING WITH CUSTARD

This was really quite easy.  Make the custard while the pudding is baking and keep it warm until you are ready to serve it. This is very easily done by keeping it over simmering water in a double boiler.

Preheat the oven to 340*F/170*C/ gas mark 3. Butter a deep baking dish that is 8 by 11 inches in size.

Cream the butter and sugar for the pudding together until light and fluffy. Add both extracts and one egg. Beat until well combined and then beat in the other egg.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and ground almonds until combined. Fold this mixture into the creamed mixture until well combined and no dry streaks remain. Gently stir in the chocolate and pears.

 

Spoon the mixture into the baking dish, smoothing over the top. Sprinkle the flaked almonds over all.

Bake for 30 minutes. Turn the dish around, then bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer. The center should be well set and not wobble and a toothpick inserted should come out clean with moist crumbs.

Run a butter knife around the edge to keep anything from sticking. Cut into squares to serve, along with the custard.

 

Make the custard while the cake is baking. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch together in a medium sized saucepan until it is smooth, thick and yellow.

Heat the milk in the microwave just until bubbles appear around the edges. Do not let it boil.

Slowly whisk the milk into the egg/sugar/cornstarch mixture, whisking constantly, until all of the milk has been added.

Place over medium high heat and cook, stirring constantly, with a whisk until the custard has simmered for a few minutes and thickened up to the desired consistency. It should coat the back of a metal spoon.

 

This was really delicious. Not too sweet and lovely and moist.  It was very easily put together and had a beautiful flavor.  I loved it.  The chocolate did tend to sink to the bottom a bit, but that was okay by me.

That custard was one of the easiest and quickest custards I have ever made!  It also had a beautiful flavor!

If you are looking for a delicious and family friendly dessert to make for the weekend, I can highly recommend this one. Its simply fabulous!

  

If you are a fan of the British Style Pudding, you might also enjoy the following delicious dessert options!

STEAMED JAM SPONGE PUDDING - A steamed pudding is bit like a steamed cake, more or less.  Moist and delicious. This one is a true classic with a sweet and sticky jam coating.  Fine coconut is dusted over the top before it is cut into wedges to serve with warm custard.  Stodgy and delicious.

MIXED BERRY PUDDING - Rich, hearty, warming and delicious with a sweet layer of mixed berries on the bottom and a sweet buttery and rich yogurt cake baked on top. Flaked almonds are sprinkled over before baking and they get all toasty, nutty delicious.  Fabulous spooned into bowls and served warm with custard. 

Yield: 8 Servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Pear Pudding with Custard

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 55 Min

A delicious pudding in the British style, studded generously with sweet bits of pear and dark chocolate. Fabulous served warm with lashings of the warm custard sauce spooned over top.

Ingredients

For the pudding:

• 1 cup (225g) butter, softened
• 1 cup +3 TBS (225g) caster sugar (fine granulated sugar)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cup (200g) self raising flour
• 3/4 cup + 2 TBS (75g) almond flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 ripe medium sized pears, peeled, cored and small diced
• 2/3 cup (100g) dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup (40g) flaked almonds

For the custard:

• 4 cups (950ml) whole milk
• 4 large egg yolks (or 5 medium)
• 2/3 cup (125g) caster sugar
• 1/4 cup + 3/4 TBS cornstarch (corn flour)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 340*F/170*C/ gas mark 3. Butter a deep baking dish that is 8 by 11 inches in size.
2. Cream the butter and sugar for the pudding together until light and fluffy. Add both extracts and one egg. Beat until well combined and then beat in the other egg.
3. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and ground almonds until combined. Fold this mixture into the creamed mixture until well combined and no dry streaks remain. Gently stir in the chocolate and pears.
4. Spoon the mixture into the baking dish, smoothing over the top. Sprinkle the flaked almonds over all.
5. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn the dish around, then bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer. The center should be well set and not wobble and a toothpick inserted should come out clean with moist crumbs.
6. Run a butter knife around the edge to keep anything from sticking. Cut into squares to serve, along with the custard.
7. Make the custard while the cake is baking. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch together in a medium sized saucepan until it is smooth, thick and yellow.
8. Heat the milk in the microwave just until bubbles appear around the edges. Do not let it boil.
9. Slowly whisk the milk into the egg/sugar/cornstarch mixture, whisking constantly, until all of the milk has been added.
10. Place over medium high heat and cook, stirring constantly, with a whisk until the custard has simmered for a few minutes and thickened up to the desired consistency. It should coat the back of a metal spoon.

Did you make this recipe?

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