The first time I made this dessert, I couldn’t believe how simple it was to assemble and how beautiful and delicious it was when baked. Your dinner guests will thank you!

• (serves 6)
• 3-4 large ripe pears (about 1/2 pound)
• butter and sugar for the baking dish
• juice of 1 lemon
• batter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup flour
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup milk
• 3 Tablespoons fruit alcohol or rum (optional)
• confectioner’s sugar
• 1 1/2 quart baking dish

Heat the oven to 375˚F. Butter the baking dish, sprinkle it with sugar, and turn the dish so it is evenly coated, discarding the excess sugar. Peel, core and slice the pears into 1/8-1/4-inch crescents. Sprinkle the slices with lemon juice so they don’t discolor. Make the batter: Put the sugar in a bowl, add the eggs and whisk for 1-2 minutes until light and frothy. Stir in the flour and salt just until smooth. Don’t beat the batter at this stage as this will make the pudding tough. Stir in the milk, and strain the batter over the pears to remove any lumps of flour. Bake the pudding for 55-65 minutes until it is puffed and brown. It should be firm on the center and have started to pull away from the sides. Let dish cool for 5-10 minutes, then sprinkle with alcohol, dust generously with powdered sugar and serve warm.

Recipe by Anne Willan, from Good Food No Fuss: 150 Recipes and Ideas for Easy to Cook Dishes