Honey spice pear loaf

Pear and ginger are a great combination in this which we make with Fred's honey. It is delicious served with blue cheese (we use Moeraki) and honeycomb. 

MAKES 1 LOAF

115g butter

1 cup firmly packed soft

brown sugar

½ cup golden syrup

½ cup good-quality honey

2½ cups flour

2½ tsp baking powder

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp mixed spice

½ nutmeg, grated

2 tsp ground cinnamon

zest of 1 lemon

½ cup milk

1 beaten egg

½ cup ground almonds

3 Poached Pears

blue cheese, to serve

honeycomb, to serve

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 23cm x 13cm loaf tin and line with baking paper.

2. Place butter, sugar, golden syrup and honey in a large saucepan. Heat gently, stirring with a wooden spoon until combined. When mixture is hot, remove from heat.

3. Sift flour, baking powder and spices into a large bowl. Add lemon zest.

4. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the butter mixture. Stir well, then add milk and egg. Stir until fully combined. The mixture will be quite runny.

5. Place ground almonds in a separate bowl and roll the Poached Pears in almond until fully coated.

6. Pour loaf mixture into prepared tin. Push pears into mixture in an even row, leaving stalks protruding from the top.

7. Bake for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 170°C and turn loaf tin around in oven. Bake for another 40–50 minutes, until top of loaf bounces back when pressed.

8. Remove loaf from oven. Allow to cool, then remove from tin.

9. To serve, slice loaf thickly, toast in the oven for 5 minutes at 170°C and serve with blue cheese and honeycomb.