PEAR CHALLAH


1 cup warm water
pinch sugar
2 tablespoons dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil (or unsalted melted butter)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 1/2 to 5 cups unbleached bread flour

Pear mixture:
3 cups coarsely chopped pears
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Egg wash and garnish:
1 egg - beaten
1 teaspoon sugar
1-2 tablespoons coarse sugar (optional) for sprinkling

non-stick cooking spray

Generously spray one 5 by 12 inch loaf pan or two 9 by 5 inch loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray. You may also use a 10 inch spring-form pan.

In a large mixing bowl, briskly whisk together the water, pinch of sugar and yeast. Let stand to allow yeast to swell or dissolve. Briskly stir in the oil (or melted butter), eggs, vanilla, salt and cinnamon. Add most of flour to form a smooth but resilient dough (a soft but elastic bread dough). Add additional flour and knead - 8-10 minutes.

Shape dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl and place this in a plastic bag and seal loosely. Let rise until doubled, about 45 to 60 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare pears. Place in a medium sized bowl and toss with sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon. Prepare egg wash by whisking together the egg and sugar.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board. Roll or pat out into a large round (about 10 inches across). Press in half of the chopped pears. Fold in edges of dough over pears (in any way you can). Roll to flatten with a heavy rolling pin (this flattens the dough so as to offer more of a surface on which to place remaining pears). Pat or press remaining apples on dough. Bring edges of dough over, pressing in apples that may pop out. The idea is to distribute the pears over the dough in a random way.

Let the dough rest five minutes. Then, using a dough cutter or sharp knife, cut into odd shaped chunks - about 16 pieces in all. Lay pieces of pear-filled dough in prepared pan, lining bottom first, then gently laying remaining pieces on top. Top with any escaped pear pieces.

Whisk egg wash ingredients together. Dab on egg wash as thoroughly and generously as possible (since dough is not a smooth surface, you have to drizzle and dab on the glaze rather than paint it on). Sprinkle with coarse sugar (optional). Place loaf pan(s) inside a large plastic bag to rise.

Let rise until doubled or dough is puffy and has almost reached the top of the pan - 45 to 90 minutes. Bake 40-45 minutes until well browned. If top of bread starts browning too quickly (and bread interior is not done), cover lightly with a sheet of foil to protect top crust.

Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing and cooling on a rack.


VARIATION:
You can use any apple in this recipe - a combination of tart and sweet is best. If apples are new and thin skinned, you can leave the peels on - the bright red hue bakes up very prettily in the finished loaf.

I also make this bread with a combination of apples and cranberries (whole) or some plumped dried cherries.

This recipe works well with oil or melted, unsalted butter (for a danish-like effect).

I have also varied this recipe by mounding the chunks in a ten inch spring-form pan.

STUFFED PEARS IN PASTRY


1 pkg. (17.3 oz.) frozen puff pastry dough, thawed
¼ c. plus 1 ½ t. sugar
1 t. cinnamon
6 ripe pears, peeled and cored
¾ c. chopped dried fruit
1 egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 450* F. Grease jelly roll pan. On floured surface, unfold dough; roll each to 14-inch square. Cut each into 4 squares. Mix ¼ c. sugar and cinnamon. Fill pears with fruit; place on 6 squares; sprinkle with sugar mixture. Brush edges with water; bring corners to top of pear and pinch edges. Pres dough against pears. Cut leaf shapes from remaining dough; brush with water and press onto pears. Brush with egg; sprinkle with sugar. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce oven to 375* F. and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden. Cover with foil if browning too fast.

Mama:

Upside Down Apple Cake
pears (about 1/2 lb.)"


"Bring edges of dough over, pressing in apples ..."


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Stuffed Pears with Maple Glaze

1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp flour
2 tsp apple juice
3 ripe pears, peeled and halved
6 tbls apple juice
3 tbls maple syrup

Preheat oven to 375F.

In a bowl combine nuts, brown sugar, flour, and 2 tsp apple juice. Set aside.

Using a melon baller, core each pear half, creating a cavity. Arrange pears, cut side up, in a glass baking dish. Spoon nut mixture into each cavity, dividing equally and pressing to compact. Pour 6 tbls apple juice into dish around pears. Drizzle pears with maple syrup.

Bake pears, basting occasionally, until tender when pierced with a sharp knife, about 45 minutes. Transfer pears to serving plates and drizzle with juices.

Poached Pears in Chocolate Raspberry Sauce

Pears
Simple syrup (1 cup sugar to 1 cup water)
Sweet white wine

1 10-oz pkg frozen raspberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tbls cornstarch
1/4 cup (approx) chocolate morsels
Splash cocolate, chocolate-mint, or chocolate-orange liquer
Mint leaves for garnish

Leave stems in place. Peel pears. Using a melon baller, carefully core and seed the pears from the bottom. If necessary, carefully shave pear bottons so they stand upright.

Prepare poaching liquid: Mix simple syrup and sweet wine half and half. Bring to simmer. Add pears (there should be enough liquid to cover them). Gently poach until tender. Drain.

Make the sauce. Combine all ingredients except chocolate morsels and liquer. Simmer until slightly thickened. Add the morsels and simmer until melted. Add the liquer and immediately remove from heat.

Pour a puddle of sauce in a serving dish. Stand one pear upright in the puddle. Drizzle with additional sauce. Garnish with fresh mint leaves.