Baked chocolate with cardamom pears
( SERVES 4 )

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Viva 10/6/2009

2	Cardamom pods, bruised
3	Pears
¼ cup	Caster sugar
1 slice	Ginger, 2cm, peeled and finely sliced
1 Tbsp	Butter
3 Tbsp	Water
180 ml	Cream
1	Vanilla pod, split
100 ml	Milk
150 g	Dark chocolate
3	Eggs, yolks
2 Tbsp	Icing sugar

Preheat oven to 170C. Halve and core the pears. Butter a baking dish then lay the pears, cardamom and ginger.
Sprinkle each pear with sugar and dot with the butter. Pour over the water, cover with tinfoil and bake for 1 hour.
Turn the oven down to 150C. Pour the cream into a saucepan, add the vanilla pod and seeds and warm. Cover, turn off the heat and let infuse for 30 minutes.
Pour the milk into a second saucepan and add the chopped chocolate then let melt over a gentle heat.
Whisk the yolks and icing sugar together until pale then add the vanilla cream, and then the chocolate milk mixture. Blend thoroughly and pour into a baking dish or individual ramekins. Bake in a bain-marie for approximately 40 minutes or until slightly puffed and set. Serve with the baked pears.
This dessert can be eaten straight away or chilled overnight.

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