This pear and chocolate cake is just what I have been craving. It doesn’t take long to make and is a lovely dinner party special or just as a random week night treat when you need a pick me up. It is a bit fiddly and creates a whole load of washing up but is sooooooo worth it. Oh and it’s gluten free too.

Ingredients:
85g mix of hazelnuts and cashews
85g caster sugar
85g butter
85g dark chocolate (70 or 80% works best)
3 eggs (free range and local of course)
1 tbsp baileys or other liqueur of choice (if you are feeling decadent)
2 pears

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (160 for fan ovens). Grease and sugar a flan dish.

Toast the nuts in a hot saucepan until just starting to brown. Grind to a powder in a mixer and leave to cool slightly.

Melt the butter and chocolate together and leave to cool slightly.

Separate the eggs. Whisk the yolks with the sugar then add the nut powder as well as the chocolate/butter mix.  Mix until well combined.

Whisk the egg whites until they hold their structure and gently fold into the rest of the mixture.

Gently pour the mixture into the flan dish, being careful not to lose all the lovely airy-ness created by the egg whites.

Cut up your pears into quarters and remove the cores. Place skin side up around the flan dish.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked all the way through.

Try not to eat it all at once ;).