SERVES:

6 People

FOR THE BROWNIE:

125 g butter, cubed

125 g dark chocolate, chopped

375 ml (1 ½ cups) castor sugar

180 ml (¾ cup) flour

60 ml (¼ cup) cacao powder

Pinch of salt

3 eggs, lightly whisked

5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence

For the Poached Pears:

750 ml (3 cups) Graham Beck Bliss

500 ml (2 cups) water

125 ml (½ cup) honey

15 sprigs thyme

4 cardamom pods

6 pears, peeled

Method:

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 20cm square cake pan with baking paper.

Place the butter and dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir with a metal spoon until melted. Remove from the heat and set aside. Stir in the sugar, flour, cacao powder, salt, eggs and vanilla until just combined.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs clinging. Set aside to cool completely.

For the poached pears:

Combine the Graham Beck Bliss, honey, thyme and cardamom in a saucepan over medium heat. Place the pears in the poaching liquid and cook for 15-20 minutes or until just tender. Remove and set aside until needed. Place the liquid back on high heat and reduce until syrupy.

Cut brownies into rounds, top with pears and glaze with the syrup.