CARAMELIZED PEAR CAKE

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“La poire est mure” the pear is ripe, the moment is favorable.

It is the mid October, the season of pears; new crops are abundant on the markets and their best in the year. I enjoy their buttery tenderness, distinctive smell, flavor and soft texture. I don’t believe many American fond pears so much or they have never experienced their peak of fresh seasonal delicacy, ant I wrong? Even though I have not enjoyed their best peak flavor so often after many years in California. Perhaps I live in a metropolitan area where no pear trees are around. 

Also I have learned about tricky, serious business about handling pears; from the farm to the market. Pear farmers need experienced decision making to pick the fruits from tree at right ripeness, is a very crucial as well as a month plus of cool storeage, and then gently pack and ship. So it takes more than a month or two before you actually see them on the market and they are often not yet ready to eat. You still normally need to wait a few days to ripen and bring out their better flavor and texture. I have been trying this game for over many years but I still make miss-judgement often; the perfection of purchasing, looking, and waiting them to ripe on the kitchen counter, either eat them flesh or cooking for this unique delicacy.

Common pears in the markets I can find in California are a half dozen kinds of European pear varieties; Bartlett, Bosc, Comice, d’Anjou, Seckel, and Asisan pears which have light yellowish brown skin, some of them are a bit darker like rustic color of bosc pears but their shape are like apples. Asian pear has delicate sweetness; the flesh is sweet and juicy, but a bit watery, no buttery, and the fruits have a crispy texture like apple, and available only in autumn ( I grew up with), resembling Asian women, perhaps. Though eat as fresh or slices them for salad are best, not suited for cooking. American and European pears are rich buttery, the juicy is sweeter (honey nectar) and flesh are tender and shape are like “pear” many of them are elongated, rounder bottom and narrow neck but some are round, and suited both eat fresh or for cooking. When I see pears I often think about an oldest venus figure, 30,000 years old, Venus of Willendorf  found in Austria.

“La poire est mure” the pear is ripe, the moment is favorable. Timing is everything particuraly for pear!

CARAMELIZED PEAR CAKE

Recipe adapted and modified from La Cuisine de Joel Robuchon

Serve 6-8
For 1.5 quarts (6 cups) baking loaf pan or 9-inch springform pan:
About 5 pears (2 pounds / 900g) ripe pear such Bosc or Bartlett
8 oz. (230g) unsalted butter
1⅓ cups (7 oz./200g) all-purpose flour, shifted
2 tablespoons (1 oz./30g) quality honey
6 oz. (180g) powdered sugar
3 large eggs (150g)
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons (1oz./28 ml) pear-eau-de-vie (pear brandy, optional but recommended)
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Grease a baking pan with butter and dust with flour, and put it in the refrigerator while making the cake batter.
Peel about 4 pears and dice into ¾ inch (2cm) pieces. In a flying pan, brown them over a high heat with 2 tablespoons (30g) the butter for about 3-4 minutes over medium heat. Add the honey and let it carefully caramelize until it is golden. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

In a large mixing bowl, with a whisk, combine the rest of softened butter (200g) with the powdered sugar. Incorporate the eggs one by one, and then add the baking powder, the flour and a pinch of salt a ⅓ of them at a time. Gently add the caramelized pears, their juice and pear brandy if you using to hold in.

Pour the batter mixture into the prepared cake pan. Peeled and slice one pear about 1/4 -inch thick and decorated on the top of the cake batter and dust with one tablespoon of powdered sugar.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, for about 45-50 minutes at 375°-400°F (200°-220°C) depending on your oven.

Remove the cake from the oven and cool it for 15 minutes before unmold, and then put it on a wire cooling rack. Serve it at room temperature. Accompany with some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Wine suggestion: chilled Muscat wine, such Muscat de St Jean de Minervois or Beaumes de Venise (AOC), late harvest Riesling.

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