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For the sponge
- 125 g
butter, softened, plus extra to grease
- 8
green cardamom pods
- 125 g
caster sugar
- 2
medium eggs, beaten
- 175 g
self-raising flour
- 1 Tbsp.
cocoa powder
- 75 g
dark chocolate, melted and cooled
- Step 1First make the topping. In a small pan, gently heat the sugar, golden syrup and 1tsp water, stirring, until melted and bubbling. Turn up the heat to medium, stir in the pear and cook for 2min, until slightly softened. Remove from heat. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4.
- Step 2For the sponge, thoroughly grease 6 x 175ml mini pudding (dariole) moulds. Using a pestle and mortar, bash the cardamom pods to break the husks. Pick out seeds (discard husks), then grind until fine. Using a handheld electric whisk, beat the butter, sugar and ground cardamom in a large bowl, until pale and fluffy.
- Step 3Add the eggs, flour, cocoa powder, cooled chocolate and a pinch of salt and beat until smooth and combined. Strain the pear, reserving the syrup, and divide the fruit equally between the moulds (make sure it’s in a single layer). Spoon ½tsp syrup into each mould (reserve remaining syrup for serving).
- Step 4Divide sponge mixture between the moulds and place in a roasting tin. Pour freshly boiled water around the moulds, so that it comes ⅓ of the way up the outsides. Cover tin with foil and bake for 35-40mim, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of a pudding comes out clean.
- Step 5Carefully remove from oven. Using a tea towel to protect your hands, lift out the puddings, and turn out on to serving plates. Drizzle over the reserved syrup and serve with cream or custard.
Get ahead
Make puddings up to 2hr ahead. Remove from water bath and leave to cool completely, then set aside. To serve, unmould and serve at room temperature.
Per pudding:
- Calories: 482
- Protein: 6g
- Total fat: 23g
- Saturates: 14g
- Carbs: 61g
- Total sugars: 38g
- Fibre: 3g
A crack team of highly skilled food content producers, the GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time.
