Ingredients

• 200g/7oz sugar
• 100ml/3½fl oz dry white wine
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 large pears
• peeled
• 16 cloves
• 1 lemon
• juice and zest
• 50g/1¾oz butter
• chilled
• 50g/1¾oz plain flour
• 60g/2¼oz caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• 4 tbsp flaked almonds
• 100ml/3½fl oz double cream
• 50ml/2fl oz mascarpone
• 4 tbsp icing sugar
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 lemon
• zest and dash of the juice
• 80g/3oz dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp dried cherries
• roughly chopped
• 4 mint leaves
• to decorate

Directions

• For the pears
• put the sugar
• white wine
• cinnamon and 350ml/12fl oz water in a saucepan large enough to accommodate the pears. Bring to the boil
• then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Â
• In the meantime
• stud each pear with 4 cloves
• then carefully add them to the poaching liquid along with the lemon juice and zest. Simmer slowly for about 12–15 minutes
• turning from time to time until the pears are just softened. Leave to cool completely before removing.
• To prepare the crumble
• preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Using your fingertips
• rub the butter
• flour
• sugar
• vanilla and ginger together in the bowl and then stir in the almonds.
• Spread the crumble onto a baking tray and bake for about 12–15 minutes
• turning twice during cooking. Once lightly browned
• remove from the oven and leave to cool completely.
• For the cream
• whip the cream
• mascarpone
• icing sugar
• cinnamon
• lemon zest and juice together until firm. Set aside.
• For the chocolate sauce
• melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Do not let the bowl touch the water – allow the chocolate to melt very gently. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• To assemble
• core each pear from the base and slice 2cm/¾in pieces from the top of each pear (keep the stalks intact). Place the pear bases on a serving platter. Dip the tops into the chocolate sauce and leave to set on baking paper.
• Spoon or pipe the cream onto the top of pear bases and place the dipped pear stalk on top.
• Drizzle chocolate sauce around each pear and sprinkle the crumble over. Arrange dried cherries on top and place a mint leaf on each pear.