SAVOUR & SIP
Autumn pear-fection ELISHA EATS At this time of year, there’s nothing nicer than wrapping up warm and tucking into some comforting puddings. Elisha Young (aka @elisha.eats on Instagram) nominates pears as your go-to fruit this autumn
A s a child, it never occurred to me that people had to buy pears. We had a large, mature Conference tree in our garden and – come autumn – I got to enjoy perfectly ripe fruit straight from its branches. Pears were like blackberries; the kind of thing you could just walk around, pluck from a plant and eat for free. But when we moved house and left the magnificent pear tree behind, I suddenly appreciated the fruit in a new way. Although often compared unfavourably to apples, pears are my favourite autumnal fruit. I love their texture (ranging from satisfyingly crunchy to soft and yielding, depending on when you decide to eat them) and the sweet, delicate, almost floral nuance to the flavour. In the UK, common varieties include Conference, Concorde, Williams and Comice, but there are plenty of more unusual types available from local orchards, markets and greengrocers. Then there’s the Nashi pear, which actually looks nothing like a pear and more like a very large, pale apple. You can find these in any of the Asian supermarkets down Mill Road, and they boast a fresh flavour and very crisp, juicy bite. If you’re a bit of a pear cynic, try easing yourself in gently with Novi’s ‘Don’t Dis- Pear’ cocktail, featuring Xante pear cognac, pear cider caramel, sage syrup and lemon. Or for a savoury treat, Fancett’s serves spiced pear chutney with the after-dinner cheese board, while Market House offers a dessert of poached pear with honeyed figs, granola and orange mascarpone. Personally, I like pears best in desserts: the light flavour pairs beautifully with cinnamon and other autumnal spices, while the crunchy texture becomes almost buttery after cooking. They work well in pies, frangipane tarts, baked into cakes, as part of a crumble, poached in wine, paired
PEARED OFF A pear dessert – like this twist on Eve’s pudding – epitomises some of the best flavour combinations autumn has to offer
Peel, core and chop some pears, then cook them gently in a saucepan for ten minutes with a tablespoon or two of light brown sugar and your chosen flavourings. While the pears are cooking, make the sponge mixture using the ratios of one egg to every 125g of flour, butter and caster sugar, plus a little baking powder and salt. Thin the sponge mixture with some milk to make it spreadable, then place the pear mixture into the bottom of a baking dish and top it with your batter. Sprinkle over more caster sugar for a pleasingly crunchy topping and bake at 180°C until the top is golden and springy to the touch. The pudding should emerge steaming hot, with a pillowy soft sponge and a rich, jammy fruit layer underneath. Enjoy with lashings of double cream, custard or ice cream for the ultimate autumnal pud.
with caramel, buried in a squidgy pudding or topped with custard. In short, pears will work well with any warming, comforting, nostalgic dessert. My recommendation is to use pears to make Eve’s pudding – a kind of cross between a fruit crumble and a steamed sponge – dating back to the 1800s. As the name suggests, this pudding is usually made with apples, but this is a fun twist – especially if you want to add cinnamon, lemon or vanilla into the mix.
The light flavour pairs beautifully with autumnal spices, while the texture becomes almost buttery
CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK NOVEMBER 2023 43
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