Ingredients
- 8 cups water
- 2½ cups caster sugar, plus 1/3 cup extra
- 2 tsps vanilla bean paste
- 12 small pears, peeled, cored from base (see tip)
- 125 g butter, softened
- 2 eggs
- 1¼ cups self-raising flour, sifted
- ¼ cup almond meal
- ½ cup milk
- Icing sugar, to dust
Steps
In a large saucepan, combine water, sugar and vanilla. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to simmer, then add pears, ensuring they are covered with liquid. Simmer, 10 to 15 mins, until tender. Drain well.
Preheat oven to moderate, 180 C. Line 12 Texas muffin holes (1/4 cup) with paper patty cases.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and extra sugar together until creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold flour, almond meal and milk through.
Half fill cases with cake mixture. Gently push one pear into each case, stem side-up (see tip).
Bake 20 to 25 mins, until cakes are well risen and golden. Cool in pans 5 mins before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar to serve. Store in an airtight container.
Drain pears well on paper towel before adding to cases. If you can’t find small snack-sized pears, use whole pears cut into quarters.
Photo: Bauer/Rob Shaw