Chinotto puddings, poached pear and Zanzibar gelato

ChinottoPuddings
ChinottoPuddings

The Italian bittersweet orange soft drink Chinotto makes the perfect poaching liquid for pears and base for these puddings. A scoop of rum-laced gelato seals the deal. You'll need to start this recipe at least a day ahead, and you'll need a kitchen thermometer, an ice cream machine and 4 x 350ml-capacity ovenproof metal ramekins.

Ingredients (21)

  • 115g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra, to grease
  • 115g caster sugar
  • Finely grated zest of 2 limes
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup (150g) plain flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • ¼ cup (60ml) milk
  • ¼ cup (60ml) Chinotto soft drink

Poached pears

  • 300ml Chinotto soft drink
  • 350g caster sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 licorice stick (from specialty grocers)
  • 4 pears, peeled and cored

Zanzibar gelato

  • 300g sultanas, chopped
  • ⅓ cup (80ml) Zanzibar (or other dark rum)
  • 580ml milk
  • 165ml pure (thin) cream
  • 130g caster sugar
  • 45g skim milk powder
  • 5g ice cream stabiliser (from specialty grocers)

Don't forget you can add these ingredients to your Woolworths shopping list.

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Method

  • 1.
    For the gelato, combine sultanas and Zanzibar in a bowl, cover and set aside at room temperature to soak overnight.
  • 2.
    The next day, place milk and cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and bring to 40°C on a kitchen thermometer. Add sugar, milk powder and stabiliser. Continue to heat to 83°C. Remove from the heat and place in the fridge to infuse for at least 4 hours. Transfer mixture to an ice cream machine and churn for 2 hours. Drain sultanas, discarding extra liquid, and add to the gelato in the last few minutes of churning.
  • 3.
    For the poached pears, place Chinotto, sugar, cinnamon, licorice and 600ml water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir to dissolve sugar, then add pears and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour, or until pears are tender. Remove pears from poaching liquor and set aside, then increase heat to medium-high and simmer liquor for 30 minutes or until reduced by three-quarters. Remove from the heat.
  • 4.
    To make puddings, preheat oven to 150°C/130°C fan-forced. Grease 4 x 350ml-capacity ovenproof metal ramekins.
  • 5.
    Place butter, sugar and lime zest in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. (The mix may look like it has split, but will come back together.) In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, ginger and ½ tsp salt flakes. Add one-third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, fold to combine, then mix in half of the milk and Chinotto. Repeat with one-third of the flour mixture, remaining milk and Chinotto, then fold in remaining flour mixture.
  • 6.
    Pour batter into prepared ramekins and place on a baking tray. Bake puddings for 25-30 minutes, until cooked through.
  • 7.
    Invert warm puddings onto plates and top with poached pear and Zanzibar gelato. Drizzle with poaching syrup, and serve any extra alongside.
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