Chocolate and Pear Brownie

One for the chocoholics - this brownie recipe from AGA is a sublime treat and perfect with a cup of tea. Thanks to AGA Rangemaster Group Home Economist Alexandra Dibble for this lovely recipe.

INGREDIENTS

200g milk chocolate, roughly chopped
200g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
300g unsalted butter, cubed
2 tbsp. vanilla bean paste
300g caster sugar
6 eggs, beaten
150g plain flour
4tbsp cocoa powder
200g chocolate chips, (Your choice of dark, milk or white)
3 conference pears, peeled and quartered

Makes 12-15 portions

METHOD

Grease and line a half size roasting tin.
Place the chocolate and butter in a large induction friendly saucepan and place on the low heat setting on your AGA induction hob. Alternatively place the butter and sugar over a pan of boiling water or leave to melt on the top of the AGA, in a warm location, away from the hotplate.
Once melted remove from the heat and stir in the sugar and vanilla bean paste. Allow to cool for a few minutes.
Beat in the eggs, and sift in the flour and cocoa and fold into the mixture, until smooth and glossy. Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour the brownie mixture into the tin and then arrange the pears on the top.
Place the roasting tin on the grid shelf set on the floor of the roasting oven and slide the cold plain shelf on the second set of runners down. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the top of the brownie has begun to crack, and the brownie remains gooey. Change the cold plain shelf for another cold plain shelf after 30 minutes, to maintain the cooler temperature within the roasting oven.

Baking oven method: Place the roasting tin on the grid shelf on the floor of the baking oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the top of the brownie has begun to crack, and the brownie remains gooey.

Conventional oven method: Place the roasting tin on the grid shelf of a fan oven set to 170 °C for 30-35 minutes