A comforting dessert of spiced apples and pears with creamy rice pudding and a sweet sticky fig coulis.
Add the milk, cream and vanilla pod to a large pan, and bring to the boil.
Add the rice and stir well.
Reduce the heat and simmer for around 20 minutes, or until the rice is just cooked. Stir frequently to avoid the rice sticking the base.
Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.
Lay the sliced plums on a baking tray and sprinkle liberally with brown sugar and dot with butter. Roast in a hot oven for about 10 minutes, or until soft and juicy. Set aside
Once the rice has cooked, over a gentle heat stir in the condensed milk.
Put the figs in a pan with three tablespoons of water and two tablespoons of the caster sugar. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat, transfer to a blender and blend until smooth.
Slice the other fruits. Place them in a pan and cover with two more tablespoons of caster sugar and four tablespoons of water and bring to the boil. Add a star anise and a small stick of cinnamon and cook until the fruits are soft.
Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool.
Serve the rice pudding with the fruits on the top and the fig coulis spooned over the plate.
