Tender, buttery roasted pears with a sticky chocolate-balsamic glaze, topped with crunchy toasted pecans. This special dish ...

For filled croissants, dot a bit of jam or sprinkle chocolate chips on the dough before you roll and bake them. Who says the main dish has to be the star of the show? This fruity dessert is guaranteed ...

Bake for 50–60 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Serves 8–10.

Conference pears are good for this as they’re slim and the right size for pears that are going to be served with rice pudding (you’ll just have eaten a lot of chilli). If you would rather do something ...

Heat the oven to 190C/180C fan/gas mark 5. Halve 8 pears from stem to base. You don’t need to core them, and leave the stalks intact if possible. Bake in the oven. It can take as much as an hour ...

They are then baked until fork-tender but still firm. The results are wholesome — but not overly so, with a shower of warm spices and a crunchy crumble topping. To serve the pears, you can lean ...