Pear, Date and Chocolate Clafoutis

Preparation Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 8-10 people

Can be parev or made in advance

Fresh dates should be plump and shiny, with smooth golden brown skins. They are extremely versatile; they can be eaten raw, used in salads, cakes, pies, or sweets or they even be stuffed with cream cheese or nut pastes as part of a selection of canapés.

Ingredients

• 2 pears – peeled, cored and roughly chopped
• 100g Dark plain chocolate
• 65g Margarine / unsalted butter
• 4 eggs
• 125g caster sugar
• 75g plain flour or potato flour
• 600ml milk or non dairy cream
• 3 tablespoons Carmel Chocolate liqueur
• 150g Dates – roughly chopped

For Garnish: Icing sugar – for dusting

Method

1) Pre-heat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/ Gas mark 5.
2) Soak the dates in the chocolate liqueur for 10 minutes.
3) Grease a shallow round 27 ½ cm ovenproof dish with 1 tablespoon of butter/ margarine. Spread the chopped pear on the bottom.
4) Place the chocolate and remaining margarine in a saucepan with a double boiler and melt together gently. Set aside.
5) In a food mixer beat the eggs and sugar together until pale and light. Add the melted butter and chocolate, sift in the flour and milk and continue to mix so that the batter is smooth.
6) Add the dates and chocolate liqueur to the batter and pour this over the pears.
7) Cook in the pre-heated oven for approximately 30 minutes or until the clafoutis is golden and lightly set.

To serve the stylish way

Serve warm or cold with a dusting of icing sugar.

For further information please contact:

Denise's Kitchen
Northwood, Middlesex, HA6 2HD