This is my definition of perfectly ripe pears! 
Typically in Fall, apples get most of the attention, with the other seasonal fruits falling below on the totem pole. I adore apples and use them in a wide variety of sweet and savory dishes. However, I mentioned a few posts ago that I have been researching a lot of recipes with Pears – to indulge in the fruit itself and to work with the best of the best matches – like the ubiquitous Pears and Gorgonzola, which I adore, and in the baking category, Pears and Ginger.
Last year when I was baking lots of cakes for my friend Sally, to try to cheer her up a bit, I went through a long list of bundt cake recipes and assembled a nice collection of favorites. Now, I am trying iterations of recipes for cakes with pears.
I am anxiously awaiting my attendance at my first cooking class at the Intermezzo Test Kitchens in Lexington Ma on Friday, October 26. The class is Cooking with Fruit, and I can’t wait. I am sure Roseann has assembled a great collection of recipes to try.
Pears often take a back seat to apples and other fall fruits because they can be perceived to lack flavor. I have found it tricky to think ahead enough to get my pears in the house and let them ripen to perfection before cooking or baking with them. I tend to prefer my pears to be what most people would consider to be just slightly overripe – when they are really juicy but still hold together well in slices or chunks. Even when baking with perfectly ripe and fragrant pears I find that they need a little boost in the batter to help accentuate the flavor profile.
To address the importance of the intoxication factor: Truth be told, I strive for my cakes to have an intoxicating aroma as they bake (as often I am trying to coax someone out of bed with them as I am today)!!!! But, more importantly, high degrees of fragrance correlate with more potency of flavor, so….. Getting to the level of intoxicating can take some experimentation – playing with extra flavors to enhance but not overpower what your feature ingredient is – this is an art form which some find easy and instinctive and some find difficult. Today I used almond extract instead of the typical vanilla as I like the way almond pares with pears (chuckle), lemon zest and pear brandy, in addition to the two gingers – ground and candied. I would have actually added a little fresh ginger to the cake as well but the piece I found in my refrigerator this morning was, well, past its prime. As I said, this process can be very tricky, and it takes a very good nose! Today, I tried a new cake – I reformatted an old recipe I had for an apple cake and tried it out.
Here is what I did:
THE PEAR AND GINGER CAKE
For the Cake:
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 tblsp room temperature butter
1 tsp almond extract
3/4 cup non-fat, plain greek yogurt
2 large eggs at room temp
1/2 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
1 tblsp pear brandy
1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
2 ripe, fragrant bosc pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4″ slices, lengthwise
1 tblsp fresh lemon juice
zest of one lemon
1/2 cup sliced, toasted almonds
Cinnamon Sugar: 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350F. Spray an 8″ springform pan with baking spray.
Peel, core and slice the pears lengthwise. Place on a plate and sprinkle them with the lemon juice, making sure to coat completely. Sprinkle lemon zest over and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar together until well blended, about 4 minutes. Add almond extract and pear brandy and blend well. Add yogurt and blend well.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stop mixer and scrape down bowl and paddle. Mix again to ensure all ingredients are blended in well. Add candied ginger and blend for a few seconds just to mix in.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and ground ginger. With mixer on low, blend in the flour mixture just until the flour disappears. Do not overmix. Remove bowl from mixer and with a spatula, take a few turns just to ensure that everything is blended in. Pour batter into prepared pan. Arrange pear slices in a circle around the batter. Sprinkle the batter with the sliced almonds and a light coating of the cinnamon sugar.
Bake 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into middle of cake comes out clean. Cool cake on a wire rack in the pan until completely cool. Remove outer ring carefully. Slice with a serrated knife and serve with a dollop of whipped cream or mascarpone cream with a touch of pear brandy if desired. Enjoy!
More pear recipes to follow….. Have a lovely day!