Homegrown pears are ready for the picking. There’s just something special about these pears. I like the crunch when I bite into one.
Although I don’t have any pear trees, I have friends who share their crop with me each year. Debbie Harvey brought me two large boxes of pears from her trees. I believe they are some of the best looking pears I have seen around here in years. Some were quite large.
I originally had planned to make pear preserves, but I decided to vary the use of the pears this year. I think I will make pear butter, then try my hand at some baking with what is left.
As you probably already know, pears can be substituted for apples in almost any recipe. I decided to make a pear cake, so I checked through my files for my favorite apple cake recipes. I actually combined two recipes for this pear cake, and it worked great.
If you like a caramel flavor, use all brown sugar instead of the mix of the two sugars called for in the recipe. I also have thought about adding pecans next time. Knowing that apple cakes sometimes call for raisins, I plan add dried cranberries to my next cake. They not only will add flavor, but will add a spark of color to the cake.
One of the best pear desserts I ever made was a pear strudel. I doubt many will take the time to make the special strudel dough, but anyone can make the filling that tastes much like fried or candied apples. It would be especially good with some homemade sugar cookies or Southern teacakes.
PEAR CAKE
1 cup butter
(not margarine)
1⁄2 cup oil
1 1⁄3 cups sugar
2⁄3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 cup buttermilk
2 1⁄2 cups peeled and chopped fresh pears
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour a Bundt pan.
Cream together the butter, oil, sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir to mix.
Add to creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour mixture.
Stir in pears. Spoon into prepared pan.
Bake for about an hour or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into center of cake. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Invert onto cake plate.
Allow to cool completely before slicing for best results. If desired, drizzle a caramel glaze over top.
PEAR FILLING
FOR STRUDEL
1⁄2 cup butter
5 pounds pears (about 14)
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2⁄3 cup raisins
Melt the butter in a wide shallow pan and set aside. Peel, core and halve the pears. Slice the pears (making the pieces about the size of apples you would put in a pie) and add them to the buttered pan. Add the sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice. Toss with the pears. Cover the pan and place it over medium heat. Cook for about 10 minutes. Uncover the pan and continue cooking over low heat to allow the juice to evaporate, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the raisins.
Prudence Hilburn of Piedmont has won more than 30 national cooking awards and written several cookbooks, including the latest, “Kitchen Keepers.” Write her at prudencehilburn@aol.com or visit www.prudencehilburn.com.
