Roasted pears, ginger crumble and mascarpone with warm caramel sauce

Serves 4

Garnish with a pinch of mixed spice on the plate and serve with the warm caramel sauce (Noel Murphy)

This recipe is real comfort food: sink into the sofa eating this with the TV and the fire on while it's cold outside, and it's just going to warm you up inside.

For the ginger crumble
70ml/3fl oz double cream
25g/1oz butter
25g/1oz caster sugar
25g/1oz golden syrup
30g/11/3oz plain flour
1/2 tsp ground ginger

For the caramel sauce

70g/3oz caster sugar
120g/4oz double or single cream
25ml/1fl oz water
A pinch of table salt
20g/3/4oz unsalted butter

For the pears

3 large comice pears
25g/1oz unsalted butter
1 tsp mixed spice

To serve

200g/7oz mascarpone

Begin by making the ginger crumble; preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas4 then place the cream, butter, sugar and syrup into a small saucepan and place on the hob over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved and the mix begins to bubble. Combine the flour and ginger then add to the saucepan and stir well. Spread the mixture on to a baking tray lined with baking paper about five millimetres thick, and place in the oven for 6-8 minutes until it is bubbly and golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Make the caramel sauce next; place the sugar into a medium-sized pan and heat gently until it begins to caramelise. Swirl the pan around to evenly colour the sugar. When it is deep-golden, add the cream carefully (it will bubble and spit). Keep on a moderate heat and whisk well until the cream and sugar combine. Add the salt and butter, mix well then add the water; whisk well then set aside.

Now peel the pears, then cut in half and remove the core. Heat a frying pan or saucepan (to fit the six halves of the pears) with the butter. Dust the pear halves all over with the spice mix then place carefully into the foaming butter. Keep moving the pears to ensure they colour evenly. Insert a knife after five minutes and check if they are soft; continue cooking if not, until done. Remove and allow to cool.

Slice the roasted pear halves into two then arrange three slices in each of four bowls. Add a spoon-shaped dollop of mascarpone to each bowl and crumble the ginger biscuit over the pears. Garnish with a pinch of mixed spice on the plate and serve with the warm caramel sauce.