Vegan Mofo Day 3 Person Inspired - Chocolate Pear Bake

Following along the list of themes and prompts for vegan mofo.....

                 Today's inspiration is bought to you by a person!

I had to think about this one as I don't know that I am hugely inspired by other people as I do quite like to be my own person but then this idea came to mind! 

Now I must say that this recipe has been sitting in my 'drafts' since June 2015!!!! (OPPS! Just goes to show my lack of blogging lately!)
It's original inspiration came from Nigella Lawson! I used to LOVE watching her cooking shows and I recall one time her commenting how well pear and chocolate go together. I have to admit that I've never actually tried any of her recipes, nor do I recall the recipe she made to make that comment!! But I did keep in mind this flavour combo and started to experiment with this combo of flavours, and yes, I can say that indeed pears & chocolate do go incredibly well together!!!

Here's my take on a delicious, yet healthier version of pears and chocolate combined!
Using overripe pears in this recipe means you can use far less sugar than in traditional baked desserts as they are naturally more sweet. If you don't have overripe ones, that's fine too, under-ripe ones will work quite well and will soften as the dish is baked. This is a great way to use up any spare pears you may have if you've stocked up when they're on super special (speaking from experience)!! 

CHOCOLATE PEAR BAKE

(Makes 1 cake that serves 6-8)

                  

                    You'll need:

                   3 overripe pears
                   1 cup wholemeal flour
                   1 teaspoon baking powder
                   2 Tablespoons coconut sugar
                   1/4 cup cocoa powder
                   1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
                   1 teaspoon vanilla
                   1 cup motherless milk of choice

Slice the pears into thin pieces and remove any of the core. Layer in a 24cm pie dish with the large side out and the small ends meeting in the middle as shown below. 

In a mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, vanilla and milk. Mix together til just combined using a whisk. Do not over stir as the mixture will then become too chewy as it bakes. Pour the batter over the pears.

Place dish in a preheated 180°C oven and bake for 40 minutes.  

 Slice and serve.

I find using a glass pie dish that it doesn't stick and can be served easily enough, however if using a ceramic or other dish, I would recommend lining it first with non-stick paper. 

If you wish to try a completely sugar-free version I reckon you could substitute the coconut sugar for 1/4 cup of date spread without it hugely affecting the way this bake turns out. 

I haven't tried it in this exact recipe but with my largely sugar free home these days that is what I would try! If you do give this version a shot - be sure to let me know what you think :-) 

Quick Pear Tarts

I recently did an interview for Plant Plate about being a parent who follows a plant based diet.  
My daughter whilst enjoying eating plant foods, often makes it known to me that she wishes for some "vegan junk food", as she mentioned in the interview!
So with one last sheet of pastry left in the freezer & it nearly reaching it's best before date these tarts were made! 
Yes, pastry falls into the "junk food" category for me! And now that it's all gone I won't be replacing it, instead I am enjoying experimenting more with home-made pastry options.

This is a really quick & easy treat to whiz up when visitors are due, or for a special occasion dessert!
But most importantly of all..... my daughter LOVED them and felt like she was having real 'junk food'! 

QUICK PEAR TARTS

Remove a sheet of dairy-free puff pastry from the freezer & allow to soften.
Cut the sheet of puff pastry into quarters. 
Along each cut, add another cut 1cm to either side. 
Also cut 1cm around the edges of the sheet of pastry.
Spread the inner 4 quarters with fig jam but not going all the way to the edge (or other flavoured jam of choice). 

Remove the 1cm sections of pastry from the lining sheet & press them gently into the edges of the tarts as shown.

Slice pears into thin pieces and spread them over the jam.

Sprinkle some frozen whole raspberries and broken pieces over the pears.

Bake in a preheated 220C oven for 15-20 minutes until puffed up and golden brown.

Serve with chocolate coconut cream for added eating pleasure!

Don't forget to check out my friends blog at Plant Plate.com
It's full of wonderfully handy hints and is an amazing resource of information and advice for following a plant-based diet!

Pastry wrapped pears

These are fiddly although not very hard, but well worth the effort. Simple dessert that is so satisfying & can have varying taste depending on how you decide to top them!

Topping Ideas: maple syrup, chocolate sauce, cashew cream, fig jam or other fruit spread.

For each pear you want to wrap you'll need a quarter of a puff pastry sheet.
Cut the quarter into 3 pieces lengthwise.
Each strip should be about 1.5cm wide.
Starting at the base of the pear wrap the pastry up and around the pear pressing the pieces together as they meet around the edge of the pear. Towards the top you may need to overlap a bit of pastry to allow it to cover the pear completely.
Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Bake at 200C for 30-40 minutes until pear is soft.
Add desired topping.

This half sheet does 2 pears.

Press the pastry around the base of the pear, gathering to fit where needed.

Wrap around in layers

Join each layer to the other without any gaps

Press layers together gently and smooth edges so the pastry doesn't separate when cooked.

Gather top together and press down again.

Awaiting their trip to the oven!