Neven Maguire’s upside down pear and double chocolate brownie tart recipe

Neven Maguire’s upside down pear and double chocolate brownie tart

Ingredients, serves 4-6

1 packet Simply Better Dutch Xenia Pears

Juice of 1 Lemon

75g Caster Sugar

75g Butter, chilled and diced

2 packets Simply Better Handmade Double Chocolate Brownie

Simply Better Irish Made Caramelised Hazelnut Ice Cream, to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas Mark 4). Peel the pears and cut into quarters, then remove the cores. Place in a bowl and toss in the lemon juice.

2. Place the sugar and butter in a frying pan over a medium heat and let it dissolve, stirring with a spatula to ensure it doesn’t catch. Continue to cook, stirring until toffee like in colour, then tip in the pear quarters and continue to cook for 15-20 minutes until the pears are evenly coated in toffee caramel and tender when pierced with a knife, turning regularly with a tongs to ensure they don’t catch.

3. Turn off the heat and arrange the pear quarters in a tightly compact neat single layer, cut side facing up and pressed together so you have a bit of space around the edges of the tin. Finely chop the brownies and scatter over in an even layer so that they cover the pears completely. Cover with a 20cm circle of parchment paper and then press down a similar sized dishwasher safe plate firmly, ensuring all the pears and brownie mixture are tucked in neatly. Bake for 20 minutes.

4. Remove the tart from the oven and leave for 20 minutes to allow the pears to soak up any excess juice. Remove the plate and peel of the parchment paper, then flip over on to a flat plate and cut into slices and serve with scoops of the caramelised hazelnut ice cream.