Pear, Pain au Chocolat & Peanut Butter Pudding
- 125g salted butter, plus extra for greasing
- 300ml double cream
- 200ml milk
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1 tbsp smooth peanut butter
- 4 eggs
- 50g caster sugar
- 6–8 pains au chocolat
- 3–4 Conference pears, peeled, cored and sliced lengthways
- demerara sugar, for sprinkling
- cream or vanilla ice cream, to serve
Preheat the fan oven to 180C/400F/gas 6 and a grease a roughly 30 x 20 cm high-sided baking dish. In a saucepan, stir together the butter, cream, milk, vanilla bean paste and peanut butter and slowly bring to the boil, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 3–4 minutes until the mixture starts to thicken.
Meanwhile, beat the eggs and sugar in a stand mixer until frothy. With the motor running, slowly pour the heated cream mixture into the egg mix, beating the whole time.
Arrange the pains au chocolat in the prepared dish. You want them to be standing chocolate side up, and wedged in fairly snugly. Wedge the pear slices in and around the pains au chocolat. Pour the custard over the dish, sprinkle the top with demerara sugar and bake for 35 minutes until nicely browned and the custard has set. Leave to stand for 10 minutes before serving with cream or ice cream.
