Pain au chocolat pudding with pears and peanut butter

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C fan/gas 6 and grease the baking dish. In a pan, mix the butter, cream, milk, vanilla bean paste and peanut butter, then slowly bring to the boil, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 3-4 minutes until the mixture starts to thicken.

2. Meanwhile, beat the eggs and sugar in a stand mixer (or using a an electric hand mixer) until frothy. With the motor running, slowly pour the heated cream mix into the egg mix, beating the whole time. Make sure the cream has cooled slightly; you want to temper the egg, not scramble it.

3. Arrange the pains au chocolat in the prepared dish. You want them to be standing chocolate-ends up and wedged in fairly snugly. Wedge the pear slices in and around the pains au chocolat. Pour the custard over the dish, sprinkle the top with demerara sugar and bake for 35 minutes until nicely browned and the custard has set. Cover with foil for the first 20 minutes to prevent burning the pains au chocolat before uncovering for the last 15 minutes. Leave to stand for 10 minutes before serving with cream or ice cream.