Caramelised Pear Charlottes

(Serves 8)

Ingredients

• ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 125 gm butter
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• zest and juice of 1 orange
• 2 tbl freshly grated ginger
• 8 medium firm pears, Beurre Bosc, Packham
• 18 slices thin white sandwich bread, crusts removed
• 40 gm butter extra

Method

Pre-heat oven to 200°C.

Lightly butter then sugar 8 x 200ml capacity moulds.

Peel, core and thinly slice the pears, placing in a bowl of cold water with the juice of one lemon. Drain well.

Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium/high heat. Add the brown sugar, cardamom, zest and juice of the orange and the grated ginger.

Stir to combine then add the pear slices.

Cook turning the pears frequently until well caramelised and tender. Allow to cool.

Butter both sides of the bread.

Cut 8 rounds of bread to fit the bases of 8 x 200ml capacity moulds, then cut the remaining 16 slices into 3.

Place the rounds into the moulds and line the sides with the bread strips, overlapping the edges of the bread and allowing the strips to over hang the tops.

Using a slotted spoon, fill the cases with pear slices, packing them in firmly to the rim.

Fold the overhanging bread over the top to enclose the filling.

Place on a baking sheet and cook until the tops are golden and crisp, 30-40 minutes.

If the tops brown too quickly cover loosely with foil.

The bread on the sides of the charlotte’s needs to be brown to enable them to retain their shape when removed from the moulds.

Unmould and serve the charlottes top side up, dusted with icing sugar and a serving of creme fraîche.