This pear and semolina pudding reminds me of Åland’s pancake which has always been a favourite of mine. Semolina gives the dish a soft texture and pear is such a perfect fruit to use for this dessert. Flavoured with cinnamon and cardamom this is perfect comfort food!
Print
Pear and semolina pudding
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: Serves 2
- Diet: Omnivore, Gluten-Free
Description
A taste of Finland in every bite!
Warm, comforting pear pudding with a hint of spice.
Ingredients
- 1 cups (237 ml) milk
- 2 tbsp (25 g) semolina
- 2 large free-range eggs
- 1 tbsp raw sugar
- 1/2 cups (60 g) white, unbleached spelt flour
- 1 tsp natural vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 pear, cut in half
- brown sugar
- cinnamon
Instructions
For the Semolina Porridge
- Heat the milk in a saucepan to almost boiling.
- Add the semolina, whisking continuously to avoid lumps.
- Bring to a boil and keep stirring to avoid burning.
- Simmer for 7-10 minutes, then remove from heat and let cool.
- Preheat oven to 390°F (204°C) and grease two large ramekins.
- Beat the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy using electric beaters.
- Add the milk, flour, cooled semolina porridge, vanilla, and spices; fold well to combine.
- Pour batter into the ramekins (no more than 3/4 full).
- Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from oven and top with pear halves.
- Continue baking for 30 minutes, covering the ramekins with baking paper if necessary.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.
- Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.
Notes
- For a smoother pudding, pass the cooled semolina porridge through a fine-mesh sieve before adding it to the egg mixture.
- If pears are not in season, you can substitute apples or other firm fruits, adjusting baking time as needed.
- Store leftover pudding in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Finnish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ramekin
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 25
- Sodium: 50
- Fat: 15
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Unsaturated Fat: 5
- Carbohydrates: 40
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 7
- Cholesterol: 100
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use coarse semolina or does it need to be fine?
Fine semolina gives a smoother pudding texture. Coarse semolina will work but results in a grainier consistency and may need a slightly longer cooking time.
How ripe should the pears be for this pudding?
Use pears that are just ripe but still hold their shape. Overripe pears can turn mushy during cooking and get lost in the pudding rather than providing distinct texture. 
How do I know when the semolina pudding has set properly?
It should pull away slightly from the sides of the dish and jiggle only in the center when the pan is gently shaken. It firms up more as it cools.
Nice flavors – I would cook the semolina custard for much less time. My custard started out lovely and smooth but it ended up overcooked and gluggy (taken to 7 minutes as suggested) which meant I couldn’t fold it through properly. Made 4x puddings in 1.5 capacity ramekins.
This looks gorgeous! I’m considering using one big baking dish…do you have any suggestions?
this was a total fail!!!!! 2 eggs are just too much! it tasted like scrambled eggs
Man oh man. These are gorgeous! I love the rustic look fruit can give to a dish when it’s not chopped to pieces.
This looks gorgeous….
Beautiful picture…. I love semolina pudding will try this soon.
Thanks for sharing.
what is Semolina
Love this recipe! My kind of pudding :)
This looks sooooooo good! :) I can’t wait to try it! Found you on food gawker and so glad I did :)
This looks gorgeous and I’m sure it tastes as well!
This looks great. I wonder (if you are familiar with it) if I can use the U.S. product cream of wheat, which is a semolina product but cooks in 3 minutes. My son loves it, and it’s high in iron so this would be a fun way to vary it.
Hi Sara,
Thank you!
I’m sorry but I am not familiar with that product. You could always give it a go though!
Cheers,
Maria