At the far end of the kitchen counter there is a large cream plate – home to whatever fruit is ripe. In summer there will be a few peaches or apricots there, and in deepest winter some crisp apples, maybe a pomegranate or two. More than just a home to whatever needs eating, the plate of fruit is there to lead me away from the temptations of the biscuit tin.
This week there were pears from the garden, three plump and curvaceous Doyenne du Comice, and a handful of fat hazelnuts – as much a still life as a fruit bowl. Both fruit and nuts called out to be married with chocolate and, rather than being eaten as they are, ended up in arecipe – the pears in a hot pudding, surrounded by buttery juices, under a crust of oats, brown sugar and bitter chocolate. The recipe worked because of the classic partnership of pears and chocolate and the crisp crust with the luscious pears.
Apples rarely need cooking before they are put under a crust, though I often do. But pears can be dry when not given a while in the oven or on the hob before you top them with a crumble or pastry crust. This time I let them cook slowly in butter and sugar so they emerged soft and translucent, then transferred them and their juice to the baking dish.
The nuts ended up in a shallow tart filled with chocolate and crushed hazelnut praline. All it needed was some crème fraîche to contrast its dark and autumnal tones. The nuts fulfilled two roles in the recipe, both in the pastry case and in the filling.
These are new autumn chocolate-based puddings, but there is many an old favourite worth a reprise, too – pears, poached and served with ice cream and chocolate sauce, or halved and stuffed with ricotta, chopped chocolate and candied peel. There's also classic chocolate pot with chopped poached pears on top, perhaps with a few pistachios; or a chocolate brownie studded with walnuts and crystallised orange. All these capture the spirit of the season and are much more interesting than as a still life in the fruit bowl.
Pear and oat chocolate crumble
Serves 4
ripe pears 850g
lemon ½
butter 30g
golden caster sugar 50g
For the crumble:
butter 50g
plain flour 45g
demerara sugar 45g
jumbo oats 3 tbsp
water or milk a couple of tbsps
dark chocolate 80% cocoa 50g
Peel the pears, rubbing them with lemon juice to stop them discolouring, then cut them in half and discard the stalks. Scoop out the core and pips with a teaspoon.
Melt the butter over moderate heat. As it starts to sizzle, add the sugar and pears and let them colour lightly. As they soften, let the sugar caramelise here and there. Tip the pears and their juices into a 1.5-litre baking dish. Set the oven at 180C/gas mark 4.
Make the crumble: rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips or use afood processor. When the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs, stir in the sugar and oats. Add a tbsp of water or milk and shake until it forms gravel-sized lumps. Chop the chocolate into small pieces then fold it through the crumble. Tip the mixture over the pears, leaving the surface quite rough. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until lightly coloured.
Chocolate and toasted nut tart
Serves 6
For the pastry case:
plain flour 150g
butter 90g
ground hazelnuts 50g
egg yolk 1
caster sugar 1 tbsp
For the filling:
hazelnuts 100g
shelled walnuts 80g
caster sugar 75g
fine dark chocolate 250g
butter 40g
espresso coffee 5 tsp
eggs 4
You need a round 24cm tart case at least 3.5cm deep and beans for baking blind.
For the pastry put the flour and butter, cut into small pieces, into a food processor. Add a pinch of salt and blitz to coarse breadcrumbs. Or rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips. Add the ground hazelnuts, egg yolk, sugar and enough water to bring the dough to a firm ball. The less water you add the better.
Turn the pastry out on to a floured board and knead lightly. Roll out to a rough round, large enough to line the tart tin. Push the dough into the corner where the rim joins the base without stretching the pastry. If it breaks, push it into place, patching up any holes. Trim the overhanging pastry and place in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Set the oven at 200C/gas mark 6. Put abaking sheet in the oven to warm. Line the pastry case with kitchen foil and baking beans and slide on to the baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove and lift the beans out. Return the pastry case to the oven for 10 minutes or so, until the surface is dry to the touch, lightly crisp and golden. Remove from the oven.
For the filling toast the hazelnuts and walnuts until the skins have darkened. Put them in a tea towel and rub roughly so the skins flake off. Return the nuts to the pan and toast until light brown and deeply fragrant. Put the sugar in the pan with the nuts, place over a moderate heat and leave until the sugar starts to melt. Once the sugar turns golden, tip the mixture on to alightly oiled baking sheet and leave to cool.
Snap the chocolate into small pieces and put it, with the butter and the coffee, in amixing bowl, then place over a saucepan of simmering water and leave to melt. Avoid the temptation to stir it more than once or twice. Meanwhile, crush the sugared nuts with a knife or in a food processor.
Remove the chocolate from the heat and separate the eggs. Lightly stir in each yolk, then in a large bowl beat the whites until thick and fluffy. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate. Treat the mixture gently. Fold in the crushed nuts, trying not to knock the air out as you go. Scoop into the cooled tart case, then place in the fridge for 2-3 hours. Further refrigeration may make the pastry damp and the filling a little too firm.
