Upside-Down Pear Gingerbread!

Yesterday evening I made an Upside-Down Pear Gingerbread and it turned out quite well. It is much like a pineapple upside down cake except that you use pear instead of pineapple and gingerbread batter instead of normal cake batter. Woodley really liked it so I thought I'd share the recipe, in case anyone else is looking for things to do with extra pears or wants a special fall dessert. It is especially good with vanilla ice cream!

Upside-Down Pear Gingerbread
From Simply In Season by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert
Serves 8

1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Tablespoon Water

Combine in an ovenproof dish {I used my 9 inch cast iron skillet}. This step can be done in the microwave using a glass ovenproof dish or on the stovetop in an ovenproof skillet of 9 - 10 inches diameter. Heat until the butter melts (either on the stove top or in the microwave). Stir.

2 Ripe Pears (peeled, cored, and sliced)

Arrange the pear slices on top of the syrup in the ovenproof dish.

1 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Stir together and set aside.

1/3 cup butter (softened)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg

In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter and brown sugar, with an electric mixer, until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat another minute.

1/2 cup molasses or honey {I used a little of each to total 1/2 cup}
1/2 cup buttermilk

Alternately, add molasses and buttermilk and dry ingredients to the creamed butter mixture. Spoon over the pears in the baking dish.

Bake in preheated oven at 350F until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, 30-35 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool about 3 minutes. Turn onto a platter. Serve warm or cold with whipped cream or ice cream.

~ElizabethRose~