This would have to be one of my all-time favourites. No more difficult than any other apple pie, but it looks spectacular.

Ingredients

• Chocolate pastry
• 1 cup flour
• ¼ cup cocoa
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 175 grams unsalted butter
• 2-4 tablespoons cold water
• Pears
• 5-6 very firm pears
• 50 grams butter
• ¼ cup sugar, brown white or caster
• grated rind of 1 lemon or orange

Method

1. Put the flour, cocoa, sugar and butter in a food processor and process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add just enough water to bring the pastry to smallish moist balls. (If you allow the dough to become a large ball in the processor it will become tough). Knead lightly and refrigerate.
2. Peel and core the pears.
3. In a deep oven-proof frying pan (no wider than 27cm) melt the butter, sugar and lemon or orange rind.
4. Add the pear halves to the frying pan arranging them core-side down making sure they are close together. Place 1 half in the centre.
5. Cook on the stove top for about 5 minutes or until a caramel sauce has formed.
6. Roll the pastry out large enough to just cover the frying pan and carefully roll on top, tucking the edges around the inside of the pears in the pan.
7. Bake at 200ºC for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is crisp. Stand for 5 minutes before turning upside down on a large plate. Serve warm with the remaining pan juices poured on top.

Cooks Tips

Variations: - Use apples or nashi instead of pears. - Use spices to vary the flavour. My favourites include cardamom and ginger. - If you do not have time to make thepastry, use a 400 gram packet frozen short pastry. - For a nutty flavour, roll ground hazelnuts into the pastry, about ½ cup. - Make a plain short pasry by using 1¼ cups flour and omitting the cocoa.