Desserts : Push the boat out...

• Four scoops of ice cream
• 100g salted Isigny Sainte-Mère AOC butter
• 150g Isigny Sainte-Mère AOC butter
• 5cl full-flavoured Muscatel (a sweet wine)
• 100g granulated sugar
• 200g UHT cream
• Four large Williams pears

Poach the pears in boiling water with a little sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Set aside to cool.

In a thick-bottomed pan on a gentle heat, put the salted butter and the sugar to make a caramel. Add the Williams pears and caramelise them on all sides, maintaining a moderate heat. When the pears have taken up a good colour, add the Muscatel and cook for a further two minutes.

Take the pears out, add the cream and bring to the boil. Reduce until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, remove from the heat and keep warm.

Presentation:

Cover the plates with a layer of sauce and place each pear in the middle of a plate.

Finish with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or cut the pears in two and slip the ice cream

between the halves. Pour more sauce on the pears and serve immediately, before the ice cream has time to melt