Gordon Ramsay's Pear Fanancier

Love him or loathe him, one can't deny Gordon Ramsay has produced some fantastic recipes. Gordon Ramsay was in Sydney for the Good Food and Wine Show last weekend. I couldn't attend due to a nasty cold. I decided to bake this Gordon Ramsay's Pear Financier to compensate for my loss.

"Pear Financier - This is a pear sponge cake in which I've used a lot of browned butter to give the sponge a nutty taste. One great thing about this pudding is that you can make it in the morning and at dinnertime it'll still taste fresh. It's very light, and delicious with poached pears." - Gordon Ramsay

Gordon Ramsay's Pear Financier Recipe
(Recipe adapted from Kitchen Heaven by Gordon Ramsey)
Serves 4

Ingredients

125 g unsalted butter
4 pears
165 g caster sugar
25 g plain flour
125 g ground almonds
160 g egg whites (about 4 egg whites)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190C (375F). Put the butter in a pan over a high heat and cook until it starts to go brown.
2. Strain through a fine sieve and leave to cool.
3. Peel and core the pears and chop into 1 cm dice.
4. Put 75 g of the caster sugar into a warmed pan and heat gently until caramelized.
5. Add the diced pear and cook for about 4 - 5 minutes, until it just starts to break down.
6. Take out the pan and leave to cool on a tray.
7. Mix the flour, the ground almonds and the remaining sugar in a large bowl.
8. Slowly fold in the egg whites, then stir in the melted butter.
9. Grease four moulds or ramekins with butter, and dust with a little flour.
10. Put in the fridge for 10 minutes for the butter to set.
11. Combine the almond mixture with the pears, then pour into the mould until three quarters full.
12. Bake at the top of the preheated oven for 25 minutes until golden brown and firm.
13. Serve with creme fraiche, sprinkled with chopped mint.