Here is a simple and delicious way to use fresh pears. This is a moist bread with spices that go just right with the mild pear taste. Ginger and Pumpkin Pie Spice are added to the bread to provide a slightly sweet and wonderful flavor. This bread is very addictive - my family has a hard time taking just one slice and the bread loaves are devoured in no time. Serve it warm (it is really nice topped with butter or margarine) or room temperature - either way it is just a perfect and great-tasting bread.
Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice blend
1 tsp Ginger (ground)
2 cups Sugar
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
1/2 cup Butter (melted and cooled)
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
4 Eggs
2 tsp Lemon Juice
2-3 cups Fresh Pears (peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped)
1/2 cup chopped Walnuts
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.5 inch loaf pans, or 4 mini loaf pans.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, Ginger, Pumpkin Pie Spice, and baking soda. Set this mixture aside.
Sprinkle the lemon juice over the chopped pears and set them aside. In another large bowl, mix together with an electric mixer, the sugar, butter, Oil, and vanilla. Mix until well blended. Add the eggs, one at a time and then beat the mixture until it thickens slightly and becomes a light yellow color. Add the dry ingredients into this mixture and stir
until just moistened. Fold in the pears (with the juice) and the chopped walnuts.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pans and bake until a knife inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean (about an hour for the larger loaf pans). Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
