I’ve not quite got my head back in the weekly habit of posting or more specifically getting something baked and photographed in time to post. The result is the end of all your excuses. At 6.03pm this evening I remembered my new leaf freshly turned over. With the carnage of two small man children strewn on the couch watching their final shite ninja cartoon and a baby overdue on waking up I pulled together this almond sponge pear pudding. As I have undoubtedly mentioned before I loathe the word pudding but in this instance, if you say it fast enough it’s ok.

I have quite the 1970s streak in me and like to have tinned fruit in my drawers. Another word I struggle with. Tinned mandarins for a very dinner party worthy finish to a gelatine cheesecake but a trusty old tin of pears for random baked midweek desserts.

From remembering my looming deadline to having a dish of guaranteed happiness in the oven took, no joke, 12mins. I did cut my butter into tv-program sized cubes and softened it in the microwave which helped but this recipe is based on ‘the bun’ recipe. 2oz of everything per egg, scale up as necessary. It was out of the oven by 6.37pm.

I adapted the recipe to have a bit of ground almonds because ground almonds are lovely and go very nicely with pears but feel free to leave out the almonds and add an extra ounce of flour. I made a 2 egg batch and ended up with two small dishes of dessert. Not an exact measurement but this is the wrong site for you if you’re after accuracy.

I don’t mean that in a mean way.

Over temperature 180 degree celsius

Tinned pears                    410g can

Butter                                 4oz (113.34g) – ideally softened

Caster sugar                     4oz

Egg                                     2

Self raising flour             3oz (85.05g)

Ground almonds             1oz (28.35g)

Preheat the oven and find an overproof dish you think will fit this recipe. I’d suggest one about…..25x20cm? Grease it lightly with a bit of butter.

Drain your pears and place them in one layer on the bottom of your dish.

In a mixing bowl put your softish butter and sugar – beat.

Add in everything else and beat till smooth.

Dollop spoonfuls of the sponge mixture over the pears and then smooth the surface. I have no photos because I’m so lightning quick. Apologies.

Place in the preheated oven. Because I surprised myself and made two very shallow ones they were done in about 20-25mins. You want the top to be a very happy medium brown and the centre of the sponge to be a bit…spongy- springing back when you gently prod it.

There you go.