Mulled Pears with Dark Chocolate Recipe

Ingredients

½ mug Demerara or brown sugar
4-6 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
A hit of freshly grated ginger and/or a hint of vanilla (extract or seeds)
1 ½ mugs red wine (plus a little more, if needed)
1 orange
4-6 firm pears (Conference pears are ideal)
2-3 clementines
Crème friache, vanilla yogurt or mascarpone (to serve)
Dark chocolate (to serve)

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Method

1. Place a lidded saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar and spice. Stir to warm through. Slosh in a bit of wine and stir till the sugar has dissolved. Add the remaining wine.

2. Cut a strip of zest off the orange. Add to the pot. Halve the orange and squeeze in the juice (use a sieve to catch the pips).

3. As your wine simmers, prep your pears. Cut a small slice off the bottoms to help them stand straight. Peel. Pop into the mulling wine. If your pears are sticking out of the wine quite a lot, add a bit more wine, so they're nearly submerged. Cover. Cook till tender, about 30 mins.

4. Just before time’s up for the pears, peel and segment your clementines. Swirl them through the wine. Let them cook for a few mins.

5. Spoon the pears into bowls. Divide the clementine segments between the bowls. Add a good puddle of wine to each. Finish with a dollop of crème friache, vanilla yogurt or mascarpone and a generous grating of dark chocolate.