Serving Up {Cake}: Spiced Oat Pear Blondies

Man on man!  I can't believe that October is nearly a memory and I have not yet posted the recipe for these Spiced Oat Pear Blondies!  Major oversight on my part and one that I am glad that I caught before the demand for fall flavors has completely diminished.

Despite the fact that these really do taste like a little piece of autumn, I have made them throughout the year and enjoy them just as much in April as I do in October.  Because I have made them year round, I can vouch for the fact that you can substitute canned (or in my case, bottled) pears in place of the fresh pear with complete success - just make sure to drain the pears really well before using them so that excess juices don't change the outcome of the dessert.

One Year Ago: Apple Cake with Butter Sauce
Two Years Ago: Pumpkin Bread

SPICED OAT PEAR BLONDIES     
(recipe from Amandeleine)
printable version

Topping:
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup old fashioned oats
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbs. chilled butter, cut into small pieces

Blondie:
1/2 cup chilled butter, cut into 1/2" slices
1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup old fashioned oats
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 3/4 cups light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups 1/4-inch cubes of cored, peeled, firm pear (about 2-3 large pears)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare a 13x9 baking dish with nonstick spray.  Set aside.
Combine the topping ingredients of flour, oats, brown sugar and salt in a medium bowl.  Add butter and crumble the butter and dry ingredients together until moist crumbs form and no flour remains.  Cover and chill.
For blondie; brown the butter in a medium saucepan by heating over medium heat until melted.  Allow to continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the color deepens and dark brown bits form at the bottom of the pan.  Be careful not to allow the butter to burn.  Pour the browned butter into a medium bowl and all to cool slightly.
Whisk the flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl; set aside.  Whisk brown sugar, eggs and vanilla in another large bowl until the mixture is smooth.  Slowly add the browned butter to the brown sugar mixture, whisking constantly and until well blended.
Add pears to the dry ingredients; toss to coat well.  Stir into the brown sugar mixture, carefully combining (batter will be thick).
Smooth batter into prepared pan and sprinkle the chilled topping over the top.
Bake 30-35 minutes, until golden brown and tester inserted into the center comes out almost clean, with a few moist crumbs attached.  Allow to cool.
Cut blondies into squares and dust with powdered sugar, if desired, before serving.

Serving Up {Pizza}: Balsamic Pear Pizza

Earlier this week I posted a recipe for a Tomato & Basil Pizza and in doing so shared my culinary pizza adventure as I tried to create a pizza dinner for my family recently, using mainly ingredients from my own garden.  The second pizza I made that evening was this recipe for Balsamic Pear Pizza.  I have enjoyed pear pizza many times in restaurants, so with a pear tree just outside my backdoor I knew that a pear pizza was what I wanted to make that night.

My most memorable pear pizzas have generally been paired with a balsamic flavoring, so as I searched for the perfect recipe I was drawn to this one.  I have also enjoyed pear pizza with Gorgonzola cheese so I experimented a bit, but having made this recipe with a smattering of Gorgonzola as well as without, I have to say that without won it for me so that is how I wrote the recipe.

This pizza was a hit!  So much so that I didn't get as many slices as I would have liked so I was "forced" to make it again later the same week.  I served it the second time to my in laws for lunch and it was voted a hit again so this recipe is definitely a keeper.

One Year Ago: Sally Luna Bread
Two Years Ago: Coconut Chex Mix

BALSAMIC PEAR PIZZA     
(recipe adapted from Inspired Taste)
printable version

1 ball favorite pizza dough (I prefer Trader Joe's)
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4  cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs. brown sugar
2-3 pears, ripe but still firm
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup pecan pieces

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and place pizza stone in the oven to heat as well.
Form pizza dough into a 12-inch circle on large piece of parchment paper, sprinkled with corn meal.  Allow dough to rest.
In a medium sized non-stick frying pan, heat 1 Tbs. of olive oil over medium heat.  Add sliced onions, thyme and salt.  Cook 3-5 minutes or until the onions are soft and beginning to brown.  Add the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar and allow to simmer until the syrup becomes thickened and coats the onions.  Set aside.
Core and thinly slice the pears.  To prevent the pears from browning, sprinkle with lemon juice and gently toss.
Drizzle remaining olive oil over the pizza dough.  Spread onions over the pizza dough.  Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the onions, then place pear slices and top with pecan pieces.
Remove heated pizza stone from the oven and carefully transfer prepared pizza from parchment paper onto pizza stone and place in the oven.  Bake the pizza until crust is cooked and cheese is melted and beginning to bubble - approximately 12 minutes.

Serving Up {Muffins}: Pear Pecan Muffins

I get most of my fall produce from a local co-op that purchases directly from local farms and orchards.  It is a terrific option for me - I am supporting local growers and in return I get great prices and amazing produce.  Last month I bought 45 pounds of bartlett pears.  They came to me still a bit green, but after just a couple of days they were perfectly ripe.  They were soft and juicy and the flavor was divine.  We enjoyed them plain, on top of greens and I even managed to bottle about half of them (with the help of my mom).  Seriously delicious!

If you, too, have delicious pears at your disposal, this is a great recipe to make on a crisp fall morning.  You can use fresh pears (as long as they are ripe) or I have been known to use canned pears when I have wanted these muffins when pears are not in season.  When I got this recipe it was called "Pear Walnut Muffins" but I always prefer pecans over walnuts so I changed the nuts and the name of the recipe.  I guess you could leave the nuts out altogether, if you are in to that kind of thing :)

PEAR PECAN MUFFINS    

(recipe from Pam H.)

printable version

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/8 tsp. salt

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup plain yogurt (I have substituted buttermilk)

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 large (ripe) pear, peeled, cored and chopped fine

Prepare your muffin tin by greasing or using liners.  Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and ginger.

In another bowl, combine the egg, oil, yogurt and vanilla.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until moistened.  Gently fold in the chopped pear.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins.  Top with finely chopped pecans and additional brown sugar.

Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until they test done.

Serving Up {Salad}: Spinach, Pear, Prosciutto and Gorgonzola with a Balsamic Vinaigrette

What a difference the sun makes!  For months I have been stuck taking photos of the dishes I've made using a flash but summertime has FINALLY arrived in the Northwest and my photos look much more appealing in natural light!  No guarantee how long this blessing will last.  The comment I heard from a friend regarding our weather was, "it's so nice that summer fell on a weekend this year".  Sad but true!

I love gourmet salads and never tire of trying new salad combinations with homemade dressings.  When I discovered this salad I immediately knew I would love it and I was right.  When we lived in Vegas there was a restaurant called Sammy's Wood fired Pizza (it's a chain with locations also in Southern California).  The menu offered many unique pizza combinations and I don't believe I ever had one that I didn't adore, but I did have a favorite...Sammy's Organic Arugula and Pear.  It was a pizza topped with proscuitto, pear and gorgonzola and after it came out of the oven it was topped with an arugula salad dressed in a balsamic dressing.  If ever you visit Sammy's please order this pizza!

This salad is a delightful (crustless) version of that pizza.  And it makes me very happy.  I hope it makes you happy too.

SPINACH, PEAR, PROSCIUTTO AND GORGONZOLA with a BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE     

printable version

16 ounces baby spinach

2 pears

4 ounces Gorgonzola

4 slices prosciutto, baked crispy and broken into large pieces

1/2 cup candied walnuts or pecans

Combine all salad ingredients in a bowl or prepare individual salads on salad plates.  Dress with Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing.

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing:

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 Tbs. soy sauce

2 Tbs. dijon mustard

1/2 Tbs. shallots, minced

1/2 Tbs. garlic, minced

salt, to taste

ground pepper, to taste

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup canola oil

Combine all ingredients except oils in blender base.  Blend until all ingredients are well combined.  Slowly add oils, mixing until all the ingredients are thoroughly blended and lightly emulsified.