Upside-Down Pear and Gingerbread Pudding

A decandent dessert option that I found online. The combination of pears and cinnamon is great.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• Topping

• 50  g butter
• 90  g soft brown sugar
• 1 (15 ounce) can  pear halves, drained
• 8  pecan halves

• Pudding

• 60  g shortening
• 120  g flour
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 2  teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1  teaspoon ground ginger
• 1⁄4 teaspoon  freshly grated nutmeg
• 1  egg
• 90  g golden syrup
• 120  g soft brown sugar
• 115  ml milk, soured with
• 1  teaspoon lemon juice
•  whipped cream, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Melt the butter in a small pan, then add the brown sugar. Cook gently for 1-2 minutes, stirring until smooth.
3. Pour into the base of a 8x8 in square cake tin. Place the pears on top, cut side down, positioning a pecan nut in each pear cavity.
4. Melt the shortening and leave it to cool. Sift the flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda and spices together three times then put them in a bowl.
5. Break the egg into a second bowl, beat lightly then blend in the golden syrup, brown sugar, soured milk and shortening.
6. Stir into the dry ingredients then, with a wooden spoon, beat for 1 minute, or until smooth.
7. Pour on top of the pears.
8. Bake the gingerbread for 40-45 minutes.
9. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, loosen from the sides and invert onto a serving plate.
10. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream.