Caramelised Pear Bread

Shake up your banana bread recipe. Pears add natural sweetness and help keep the bread moist. Try Beurré Bosc pears for this recipe – their traditional pear shape and firmer texture makes them great for cooking, particularly poaching.

Serves 10
Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooking: 1 hour

Ingredients: Caramelised Pears:
5 pears, peeled and halved lengthwise
¼ cup brown sugar
1.5 tbsp. orange juice
3 tbsp. water
2 tbsp. unsalted butter

Bread:
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup plain flour
½ cup whole meal flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon cinnamon

Method: For caramelised pears pour water, orange juice, sugar and butter in a medium fry pan over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved and the mixture is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.

Add pears, cut side up. Cook about 3-4 minutes. Turn them over and cook just until slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Let them cool slightly.
Line the bottom of a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Place the pears, cut side down in the pan. Heat the remaining liquid in the frypan and pour it over the pears.
For the pear bread, preheat oven to 180C.
Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy about 5 minutes. Add in olive oil and mix well.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cardamom and cinnamon.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet mixture in 2 additions. Don't over mix. Just use a hand whisk and whisk until everything is combined.
Pour the batter over pears. Smooth the top.
Bake until top is golden or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes.
Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes and serve – the bread will taste delicious with ricotta and honey!

Larissa Takchi Dares to Pear Desserts

The MasterChef winner and dessert extraordinaire has put the 'pear-fect' spin on three popular desserts to sweeten taste buds this entertaining season

This year's MasterChef winner, Larissa Takchi, who shot to fame thanks to her delicious and striking desserts, has created three unique pear dishes just in time for the start of entertaining season. Switching out the traditional fruits used in some of Australia's most well-known desserts, Larissa has created three daring pear-ings including; Sticky Pear Pudding, Dark Chocolate Mousse with Marsala Pears and Caramelised Pear Bread.

Larissa commented; "I absolutely love cooking with Australian Pears and experimenting with these traditional dessert recipes has been a lot of fun. Pears are a great option when cooking savoury and sweet dishes, and luckily for us Aussies we have a wide range of pear varieties grown here in Australia, available all year round and each with unique flavour profiles and colours.

"I also love how versatile pears are which is why I often incorporated the fruit into dishes during my time on MasterChef and on the menu at our aptly named Wild Pear Café! Their gentle sweetness allows them to pair well with a number of ingredients, and they can be enjoyed fresh, grilled, poached, puréed or baked – making them one of my favourite fruits to cook with."

Larissa has provided her top tips for using pears:
• If you're looking for a ripe pear, press the neck lightly near the stem – if the flesh gives a little, the pear is ripe and ready to enjoy! There are a couple of sure-fire ways to speed up the ripening process too – pop them in a paper bag or sit them snug next to other fruit in a bowl.
• Experiment with different varieties of pears depending on your dish – William and Packham pears are sweet and juicy so taste great fresh or cooked. Try Beurré Bosc for poaching – they have a buttery flavour and are slightly firmer, so hold their shape well during cooking.
• Pears compliment a wide range of ingredients – try these pear-ings: cinnamon, ginger, chocolate, citrus, honey, cheese, ricotta, nuts, vanilla, wine, pork and chicken.
• Don't overlook an overripe pear – they are fantastic for chutneys and jams

For more ins-pear-ation visit AustralianPears.com.au.