Gingerbread with Caramel Pears

GINGERBREAD WITH CARAMEL PEARS


Serve this simple yet extra-special dessert with homemade Pumpkin Ice Cream or your favorite purchased ice cream.

Prep: 50 minutes Bake: 55 minutes Cool: 30 minutes Oven: 325º

1 cup butter
1 cup milk or water
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup unsulphured blackstrap molasses or dark-flavored molasses
1/2 cup honey (full-flavored)
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
3 eggs
1 recipe Caramel Pears (below)
1 recipe Pumpkin Ice Cream, optional (below)

1. Grease a 9x9x2-inch pan; set aside. In a medium saucepan combine butter, milk, brown sugar, molasses, and honey. Cook and stir over low heat until butter is melted. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl; cool slightly.

2. In a medium bowl combine flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cloves. Set aside.

3. With an electric mixer, on medium speed, beat eggs, 1 at a time, into cooled butter mixture, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture, about 1 cup at a time, beating on low speed just until combined (batter may be lumpy). Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in a 325° oven for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool for 30 minutes on a wire rack. Serve warm with Caramel Pears and Pumpkin Ice Cream, if desired. Makes 12 to16 servings.

CARAMEL PEARS: In a small bowl soak 1/4 cup dried cherries in 1/4 cup cognac or orange juice for 30 minutes or until softened. Meanwhile, in a large skillet sauté 3 to 4 pears, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced, in 3 tablespoons butter and a pinch of sugar until golden brown and cooked. Drain cherries. Stir cherries into pear mixture before serving.

Per serving Gingerbread with Caramel Pears: 492 cal., 20 g fat (12 g. sat. fat), 103 mg chol., 295 mg sodium, 71 g carbo., 3 g fiber, 6 g protein.

PUMPKIN ICE CREAM
Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 6 minutes Chill: 3 hours Freeze: 3 1/2 hours

2 cups whipping cream
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
5 egg yolks
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. cognac (optional)
3/4 cup canned pumpkin (about 1/2 of a 15-oz. can)

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the whipping cream and brown sugar. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes until bubbles form around the edges of the pan, stirring to dissolve sugar.

2. In a small bowl beat the egg yolks, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Gradually whisk about 1/2 cup of the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture; continue to whisk until smooth. Pour egg mixture into cream mixture in the pan. Cook and stir over medium heat until the mixture thickens (the mixture should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and leave a clear trail when a finger is drawn through it), about 4 to 6 minutes. Do not boil. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl. Stir in the vanilla and the cognac, if desired. Whisk the pumpkin into the custard. Cover surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming; refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours or overnight.

3. Pour the pumpkin custard into a 1 1/2- or 2-quart ice-cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions. Pack the ice cream into a freezer-safe container. Cover and freeze until firm, for at least 3 hours or up to 3 days, before serving. Makes about 5 cups.