Caramelized Upside-Down Pear Gingerbread is one of my husband’s favourites. While we were in the Okanagan, we bought a lot of apples and pears to bring home. Most of them survived quite nicely, but the Bartlett Pears were a little too ripe and got a bit bruised in transport. Seeing this, he immediately started hinting for pear gingerbread.
Pear Gingerbread
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamon (if desired)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 1/3 cup melted butter
- 2-3 ripe pears
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8 x 8 pan with butter or cooking spray (or line with parchment paper). Sprinkle 1/2 cup brown sugar in the bottom. Slice the pears over the sugar, then dot the butter all over it. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon and cardamon. In another bowl, combine the egg, sugar and molasses. Add the hot water to the liquids, then stir the liquid into the flour mixture, mixing quickly. Then whisk in the melted butter. Pour over the pears. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Serve hot with whipped cream or ice cream.
This is a nice recipe for plain gingerbread if you so desire. You can also add 1/3 cup of raisins to it.
Any thoughts or suggestions for improvement?