Parkin puddings with pan-fried pears

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Grease the moulds with butter and put on a baking tray. Sift the flour, bicarb, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, mixed spice and a pinch of salt into a bowl. Whizz the stem ginger in a mini food processor until finely chopped. Put the remaining butter, muscovado sugar, 2 tbsp golden syrup and black treacle in a large pan, then warm gently, stirring, until smooth. Stir in the stem ginger, then fold in the flour mixture, eggs, oatmeal and 150ml warm water. Divide the mixture equally among the moulds and bake for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, for the syrup, heat the golden syrup, mixed spice and lemon  juice gently in a pan for a minute or so. Set over a low heat to keep warm.
3. Peel, quarter and core the pears. Melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan and lightly brown the pears over a medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes, turning now and then. Add a splash of the spiced golden syrup and cook for 1-2 minutes.
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4. Turn out the parkin puddings into warmed bowls and add the pears. Drizzle over a little of the remaining syrup and serve with clotted cream (leftover syrup is great drizzled over a winter fruit salad or hot pancakes).