Pears the powerhouse of fruit

Pears are not only juicy and delicious, they are also packed full of nutritional benefits. They are rich in fibre, antioxidants and vitamins. So, if you do happen to use them in a treat such as a cake, you can tell yourself not to feel too guilty — they are the powerhouse of fruit . . .

Pears are harvested in New Zealand around February to March and are generally available until November. Here are a few recipes you can try with this versatile fruit.

CHOCOLATE PEAR CAKE

Ingredients

4 Buerre Bosc pears

Juice of 1 lemon

1¼ cups flour

¼ cup cocoa powder (dark)

1½ teaspoon baking powder

¾ cup caster sugar

½ cup ground almonds

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

150g butter, melted and cooled

½ cup milk (room temperature)

Method

Heat oven to 180°C.

Grease and line a 23cm round cake tin with baking paper.

Slice pears, placing them in a bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent browning.

Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder into a large bowl.

Add sugar, ground almonds, eggs and vanilla extract.

Beat until smooth and then fold in the butter and milk.

Spread half the cake mixture over the base of the prepared tin and arrange half of the pear slices on top. Spread over the remaining cake mixture, then arrange the remaining pears on top.

Bake for 45 minutes (or until a skewer is inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean).

Leave to sit in the tin for 15 minutes before removing. Serve warm with low-fat yoghurt or low-fat ice cream.

Serves: 8

Preparation: 10 minutes

Cooking: 45 minutes

SPICED PEAR AND ALMOND MUFFINS

Ingredients

2 pears chopped into small pieces

2 cups flour

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon mixed spice

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

Pinch salt

2 eggs

⅓ cup brown sugar

⅓ cup coconut oil, melted (or rice bran oil)

⅔ cup Greek yoghurt

¼ cup sliced almonds

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C on fan bake.

Grease a muffin tin and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add in the chopped pear.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, coconut oil and yoghurt. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Using a tablespoon, scoop mixture into the muffin tin and sprinkle with sliced almonds. Bake for 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted.

Allow muffins to cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack.

Serves: Makes 12 muffins

Preparation: 10 minutes

Cooking: 15 minutes

SPICED RED WINE POACHED PEARS

Ingredients

6 firm pears, peeled (keeping the steams in as per photo)

POACHING LIQUID

1 tsp grated ginger

1 star anise

2 whole cloves

2 cardamom pods

1 cinnamon stick

Juice and zest of 1 orange

½  bottle dry red wine (or replace with pomegranate or cranberry juice if wanting something non-alcoholic)

1 cup of water

⅓ cup dark brown sugar

Method

Heat oven to 200°C.

In a large saucepan, combine poaching ingredients. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes.

Reduce to a simmer, add pears and cover with baking paper, simmer for 20-30 minutes or until pears are tender.

Remove pears and bring mixture to a boil and reduce by half (around 20 minutes).

Once cooled, put pears back into reduction and refrigerate (covered) overnight.

To serve, reheat the pears for 5 minutes to warm through, top with a drizzle of syrup and serve with yoghurt.

Serves: 6

Preparation: 10 minutes

Cooking: 55 minutes

Recipes courtesy of www.5aday.co.nz