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For the topping
- 25 g caster sugar
- 1 Tbsp. golden syrup
- 1 large conference pear, about 200g, peeled, cored and cut into 1 1/2cm pieces
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
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. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. 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
