Gingerbread with pears recipe

Ingredients

• 175 ml dark treacle
• 250 g butter, plus extra for greasing
• 175 g muscovado sugar
• 50 g marmalade
• 50 g crystallised ginger or stem ginger in syrup, very finely chopped
• 250 g plain white flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 4 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 4 medium eggs
• 175 ml milk
• 75 g cream fraiche

• 1 pared lemon juice and zest
• 500 ml dry perry
• 70 g caster sugar
• 1 kg firm pears
• 1 vanilla pod, split open lengthways

• icing sugar
• creme fraiche

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Combine the treacle, butter, sugar, marmalade and chopped ginger in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and spices into a mixing bowl.
3. Whisk together the eggs, milk and crème fraîche in another bowl. Slowly pour in the hot treacle mix, whisking constantly. Fold in the sifted dry ingredients.
4. Butter a large, deep metal tin that is 30 x 20 cm and 6 cm deep. Line with baking parchment. Pour in the gingerbread mixture.
5. Bake for about 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool.
6. When cold, remove from the tray. Wrap in baking parchment and then with cling film.
7. Next prepare the pears. Put the lemon zest and juice into a bowl with the perry and sugar. Peel and quarter the pears. Remove the cores. Put them into the perry mix as you prepare them – this will prevent discoloration.
8. Tip the pears and liquid into a saucepan and add the vanilla pod. Simmer for 15–20 minutes until the pears are just tender. Remove the pears with a slotted spoon and put to one side. Bring the poaching liquid to the boil and reduce to a syrup. Pour this over the pears and allow to cool.
9. When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 170°C. Cut the gingerbread into squares and warm in the oven for a few minutes.
10. Sprinkle the gingerbread with icing sugar and serve with the pears and crème fraîche.