Slow Cooker Individual Pear & Chocolate Puddings

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My slow cooker has really come in handy over the summer here at the Kitchen Shed but now is the time of year for it to be in almost constant use. Over the next few months I hope to bring you a range of winter warmers but the first recipe I want to share with you, a favourite of ours, is more autumnal. There are plenty of pears around at the moment and along with some dark chocolate, pears make a lovely warming pud which is perfect for serving after supper with friends. If you prepare these puds and pop them in the slow cooker before cooking your main course they’ll be ready to eat when you’ve finished your supper. You can serve them cold but we love to dig into the warm mousse like chocolate nestling underneath the pear … delicious.

Ingredients

• 200 g dark chocolate broken into pieces
• 125 g butter
• 125 g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 60 g plain flour sifted
• 3 ripe pears

You will need:

• 6 ramekins
• 1 large slow cooker
• Hot water

• Melt the chocolate and butter together and leave to cool for 10 minutes.
• Add the sugar and stir well.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time.
• Add the vanilla and stir.
• Stir the flour into the mixture to combine – don’t over mix.
• Divide the mixture between the 6 ramekins filling to just over half way.
• Peel the pears, cut them in half and remove the cores.
• Slice each half pear (see photo) and place the slices on to the top of each chocolate pudding.
• Place ramekins in the slow cooker pot and carefully pour enough hot water into the pot for the water to come half way up the outside of the ramekins.
• Place on the slow cooker lid and cook on high for 1½ hours until well risen.
• Slow cookers vary so check your puds are cooked – mine were cooked in 1½ hours. If your puds aren’t quite ready, place lid back on and cook for a further 30 minutes before checking again.

I’m entering Slow Cooker Individual Pear & Chocolate Puddings into a few challenges this month:

• Janice’s Slow Cooked Challenge over at Farmersgirl Kitchen where the theme is St Andrew’s Day or a dish that is delicious to eat.
• Credit Crunch Munch created by Helen and Camilla, hosted this month by  Alida over at My Little Italian Kitchen.
• Ren Behan’s Simple and in Season hosted this month by Katie at Feeding Boys and a Firefighter.