NURTURING OURSELVES

I love to travel, business or pleasure it all gets me excited. Today I am 20,000+ feet in the air; rocketing towards sunny California and loving every minute of it. A plane delay; it doesn’t faze me. A seating area so small, my knees hit my chest; piece of cake (Brown Butter Pear Cake as a matter of fact).  The important thing here is I’m on my way to somewhere. Adventure awaits and I couldn’t be happier.

This trip will be a short one, filled with mostly dry, ”I can’t keep my eyes open any longer,” type meetings.  No matter, a change of scenery is just what the doctor ordered and I am looking forward to some spectacular dining in the evenings.

Sometimes in life what’s needed is a new perspective. With all the blogging, putting away produce, and daily tasks I have lost a bit of sight on what’s important. I was in need of an opportunity to step outside my normal routine and reset. These little jaunts work perfectly for me, but I realize not everyone has this as an option. The trick then is to figure out what works for you, make a plan and then follow it. This could be as simple as a lunch or dinner out with the girls or a trip to the hair salon all by your lonesome.

Whatever the plan, be sure to take a few moments to nurture yourself. When you are at peace and feel your needs are met it will be much easier to give to others.

BROWN BUTTER PEAR CAKE

I set about making this delicious cake with one thing in mind; making it healthy. Fresh pears were a great place to start. I substituted all the processed foods for whole foods and love how it turned out.  If you’re looking for a cake with a beautiful presentation, slightly sweet with a lovely Bourbon brown butter flavor, this one’s for you. Feel free to dust with a touch of powdered sugar or add a dollop of sweetened fresh whip cream to top it off, if something sweeter is what you desire. 

5.0 from 3 reviews

Brown Butter Pear Cake

 

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Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 2 partially ripe pears, peeled, cored and sliced
• 1 tbsp chopped crystallized ginger
• 1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, divided
• 4 tbsp Bourbon (or apple juice), divided
• ¾ cup unrefined pure cane sugar (or brown sugar)
• ½ tsp sea salt, divided
• 2 eggs
• 1-1/2 cups plus 2 tbsp whole wheat white flour
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 cup Greek yogurt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Butter and flour a 9 inch spring form pan.
3. Place pear slices in bottom of the spring form pan in fanning fruit out in a circle.
4. Sprinkle with the tbsp of chopped crystallized ginger. Set aside.
5. In a medium skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.
6. Stir continually until the milk solids bubble up and turn a golden brown color.
7. Pour into a small bowl, making sure to get all the brown buttery buts.
8. Place browned butter in the freezer to cool and solidify. About 20-25 minutes.
9. While waiting for browned butter to solidify, wipe out pan used to brown butter and melt and additional 4 tablespoons of butter.
10. Add 2 tbsp bourbon (or apple juice), ¼ cup unrefined cane sugar (or light brown sugar) and ¼ tsp sea salt.
11. Stir over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is bubbly and slightly thickened.
12. Spoon the sauce over the pears, tapping the pan on the counter to evenly distribute.
13. Stir together the flour, baking powder and remaining ¼ tsp sea salt, set aside.
14. In medium sized mixing bowl add the remaining 4 tbsp of butter, the 4 tbsp of solidified browned butter, 2 tbsp Bourbon and the remaining ½ cup of unrefined sugar. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, 2-3 minutes.
15. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until each egg is incorporated.
16. By hand stir in wet and dry ingredients a little at a time, alternating as you go and only until ingredients have all been incorporated. (this helps to keep the cake tender).
17. Spoon the batter over top of the pears and tap the pan on the counter to help spread the batter evenly..
18. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center..
19. Cool cake for about 10 minutes before running a knife along the edge of the cake. Inverting onto a platter and remove spring form siding. Allow cake to cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar or add a dollop of fresh whole whipped cream prior to serving.

3.2.1311

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