Recipes, Styling & Photos Emma Boyd

Serves 6-8, Prep Time 30 minutes, Cook Time 45 minutes

 

50 g butter, plus extra softened to spread on the bread

6 pears

4 tbsp brown sugar

10 slices sourdough bread (650 g), a few days old

5 eggs

350 ml cream

350 ml milk

⅓  cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1½ tbsp freshly grated ginger

Icing sugar to dust

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C and grease an oven-proof dish with butter. Line two baking trays with baking paper. Halve the pears, remove the cores and cut each half into 8 wedges then put into a large bowl. Melt the butter and pour over the pears then add in the brown sugar. Mix well then divide between the two trays and spread out. Put into the oven and roast for 45 minutes, using a spoon to give them a mix every now and then. Once golden-brown remove from the oven.

Put the cream, milk, sugar, vanilla and ginger into a shallow dish and whisk to combine. Butter the bread on both sides and cut into two. Stand the bread in two rows in the dish then tuck the pear slices in between each layer. Pour the custard mixture over the bread and leave to stand for 1 hour. As it sits, spoon mixture over the bread at the top of the pudding. Put into the oven and bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown and the custard has set. Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly then dust with icing sugar and serve with vanilla bean ice cream or cream.