I have been making this recipe for ever because not only is it the easiest pudding to make but it is one of the most delicious. Every one loves it and it’s got the lovely flavours of vanilla, the spicy vermouth and lemon peel. I initially got the recipe from an old Italian cookbook which had only a few ingredients in each recipe and no measurements. Every single recipe I did from that book was genius in its simplicity in the way Italians effortlessly get it right plus they all tasted amazing. This recipe requires virtually no work at all, you just bung the pears in a roasting dish with the rest of the ingredients, so it’s perfect for an easy dessert after dinner or when you want to create a simple pudding at the end of a dinner party. It can be served hot or cold and I serve it with dollops of Greek yogurt or sour cream. If you are vegan or dairy free you can serve it with {Swedish Glace } icecream or soya yogurt.

Recipe

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

4 pears
2/3 of a cup of vermouth
1/3 cup of sugar
1 vanilla pod
a few strips of lemon zest

How:
Heat the oven to 180c
In a bowl, mix the sugar and vermouth. Split the vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape the tar like seeds out and add to the bowl with the scraped vanilla pod and the lemon zest strips.
Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes or until the pears are tender. Test with a skewer… and put them back in if they are too firm.
How easy is that…?

Lastly I have used white wine, dessert wine or Marsala instead of the vermouth for this recipe and it works just as well. It’s up to you: which you prefer?

I shop at:
Waitrose
Sainsbury’s
Tesco
Lidl