Devils on Horseback

These are dates stuffed with spiced pears and wrapped in bacon.  I don't know how these got their name, but I love it.  Angels on horseback involve oysters, which just doesn't sound as appealing to me.  You could substitute all sorts of things for the pears if you don't have any or don't want them, such as walnuts or blue cheese.  With these, there's the slight spicy juiciness of the pear, the chewy sweetness of the date and the salty smokiness of the bacon.  People were drawn in by the bacon--and by the name--but the combination kept them going back for more.  The basic recipe is here.

Spicy Ginger-Pear Bread

I made a bunch of quick breads this week.  Banana-pecan, lemon poppyseed, and ginger-pear.  Pears are everywhere right now, and ginger seemed like the perfect thing to go with them.  Sweet, spicy, warming.  Actually, I think ginger goes with everything--and in my cooking, it often does.  So to the pear bread recipe, I added a hefty dose of fresh ginger, with crystallized ginger on top.  I keep the ginger in the freezer, peeled and wrapped up tight, and when I need some, all I have to do is grate off a bit with a microplane.

Ginger-Pear Bread
(based on a recipe from Smitten Kitchen)

3 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2-4 Tbs freshly grated ginger (I used closer to 4 Tbs, but adjust to taste)
3/4 c softened butter
3 eggs
2 c sugar
2 c grated pear (3-4 pears, peeled, cored and grated)
2 tsp vanilla
1-2 Tbs crystallized ginger, chopped fine (I used this)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour two 9x5-inch loaf pans.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and fresh ginger.  In another bowl, combine the grated pear, butter, eggs, sugar, and vanilla.  Add the pear mixture to the dry mixture, and mix until just blended.

Pour the batter evenly into the two prepared pans, and sprinkle the tops with the crystallized ginger.  Bake for about an hour, til the tops are browned and a toothpick or knife inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.

Cool in the pan for 10-15 min., and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Pear and Almond Tart

Isn't this pretty? Even better, it was tasty too. The pears  were poached in  honey, ginger and white wine, and then baked in a almond crust with an almondy filling.  A little whipped cream on the side didn't hurt either.  The recipe is here.

I just noticed this is my 500th post.  Wow ... who knew I had so much to say (and bake!)?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Pear Tatin

It's hard to go wrong with this recipe--it looks good, tastes good, and it's easy. The basic recipe, Dorie Greenspan's tarte tatin, calls for butter, sugar, apples and the base dough. I substituted a mix of pears, as they were all over the market, and a sheet of puff pastry dough. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and you're all set.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone