Top five pear recipes

Juicy pears are just what we want in autumn. Use your stock up in one of our delicious pear dessert recipes.

Roast pears and olive oil cake

An exceptionally moist cake made from olive oil, dessert wine, lemons and milk, served with pears roasted in wine, sugar and oil (pictured above). Finish the dish off with a sticky wine syrup, made simply by simmering water, sugar and white wine together. Serve with crème fraiche or a blob of vanilla ice cream.

Honey-roast pears with orange blossom

Honey-roast pears are the perfect dinner party dessert – quick, elegant and tasty. Roast your pear halves in a sticky sweet marinade made from honey, orange juice and fresh vanilla, then serve drizzled in the sauce and with yoghurt and pistachios.

Pear mousse

A pear pudding worthy of a Michelin star, created by chef Phil Thompson. It’s a tricky one to master, and involves poaching pears in a spiced white wine marinade, whipping white chocolate and cream into a Roquefort mousse, and building the dish with little blocks cut from a fresh pear.

Pear pudding

A real English favourite, perfect for those chilly autumnal nights. It’s actually more like a bread and butter pudding, made from pears and Stinking Bishop cheese washed in Perry… you’ll also make your own custard, and will require plenty of cream and nutmeg.

Upside-down pear tart

You can use almost any fruit – pears, apples, plums, nectarines or peaches are best – for this tart recipe, and it’s always best to use slightly under-ripe fruit here. Make a cardamom syrup to serve with your tart (or maybe try a red wine star anise syrup?), and use puff pastry.   

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