What to bake this weekend: Croissants with hot apples, pears, brown sugar and cream

Croissants with hot apples, pears, brown sugar and cream
Serves 4 

Ingredients

• a knob of butter, for greasing 
• 3 pears, peeled, cored and cut into quarters 
• 2 Gala apples, peeled, cored and cut into quarters 
• 2 fresh bay leaves or a few sprigs of fresh thyme 
• 2 tbsp golden brown sugar 
• 150ml cream 
• 4 croissants, cut in half lengthways 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Rub a baking dish with a little butter. 
2. Put the pears, apples and bay leaves or thyme in the dish and scatter over the brown sugar. Cover the dish tightly with foil. Cook in the oven for 15–20 minutes, depending on how ripe the pears are – the fruit should be soft and tender. 
3. Peel back the foil and add the cream. Put the dish back in the oven for a further 5 minutes, until the cream starts to bubble and thicken. 
4. To serve, carefully scoop out the hot fruit and cream and spoon it over the croissants.

Butter Boy: Collected Stories and Recipes by Paul Flynn is published by Nine Bean Rows (ninbeanrowsbooks.com). Photo by Harry Weir Photography.