Pear Sticky Toffee Puddings

Yield:

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F and set a rack to the middle position. Take a standard 12-cup muffin tin and spray 8 wells with nonstick baking spray (you won’t be using the rest). If you don’t have baking spray, you can grease them with butter and then dust with flour.

Stand a pear upright on a cutting board. Slice down each side so that you have four ¼-inch-thick slices of pear. Repeat with the second pear. Lay each slice, rounded-side down, into the center of a muffin cup. Set aside.

Put the dates in a small bowl with the baking soda. Pour the boiling water on top and stir so that the dates are submerged, then let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes while you make the batter.

Using a stand or handheld mixer, beat the brown sugar and butter on medium-high speed until creamy, about 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl regularly. Add the egg and beat until blended. Sprinkle in the flour, salt, and baking powder and mix on low speed until evenly combined.

Puree the date mixture in a blender or with an immersion blender, then add it to the batter and mix on low speed until evenly combined.

Using a tablespoon, drop the batter into each of the prepared muffin cups, dividing it evenly. It will settle around the pear slices. Bake until the cakes are fragrant and spring back lightly when poked, 18 to 20 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning them out onto a cooling rack (hold the rack against the muffin tin, then flip).

Instructions

Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar, cream, and salt and whisk until smooth.

Serve the puddings when they’re still a bit warm, spooning a generous amount of the sauce over them.