1. Heat oven to 190 degC. Grease 12 patty pans. Place butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water to melt, or microwave to melt. Stir until smooth.
2. Place ground almonds, icing sugar, cocoa and flour in a bowl and make a well in the middle. Add egg whites and melted chocolate to the well and stir to combine.
3. Spoon mixture into prepared patty pans. Place a few slices of pear on each and bake for 15 minutes. Serve plain or with chocolate fudge sauce (see recipe below) if desired.

Tip: old-fashioned patty pans are small, shallow cake pans available from specialist cookware shops. You could also use mini muffin pans.