What a lovely pear

Last night's pudding was poached pears, spicey chocolate custard, and crumble baked separately.

To poach the pears, peel and place in a saucepan of water, with:
1tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
Bit of orange zest
Poach for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the crumble mix:
1oz butter
1oz sugar
2oz plain flour
Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, until golden and crunchy.

Make the custard as normal (Bird's powder, I'm afraid, one of my guilty pleasures) and then while it's thickening place about 20g of Green & Black's dark chocolate with orange and delicate spices, and stir briskly to melt.

Serve in a large teacup.

One of my favourite puddings. The poach is lightly spiced, the chocolate has a lovely warmth and delicate kick, and the crumble adds more comfort and texture. A brilliant pudding for chilly nights in. Comforting for the soul when you need it most, when you feel let down and disillusioned with the world and those around you - there's nothing quite like custard to heal.