Spiced Pear Muffins with Candied Ginger

I have a love/hate relationship with pears. Admittedly, they can be gorgeous to behold, all fall-like in their appearance. It makes me want to take a juicy bite out of one before I even leave the store. Unfortunately, I've been betrayed more than once by that beauty, ending up with hard or mealy fruit. Then, I luck into just the right one, and with juice dribbling down my chin, I fall in love with them all over again.

I had some of the good ones on hand the other day when I came up with another muffin recipe. This one combines those fresh, ripe pears with some ginger, cardamom, and nutmeg for a perfectly moist little cake muffin.

Spiced Pear Muffins with Candied Ginger

Printable Recipe

2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar, plus an additional 2 tablespoons for topping

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups chopped, fresh pears (about 2 medium)

1 cup low fat buttermilk

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons minced, candied ginger

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.; line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, spices, and salt. In another bowl, stir together the chopped pears, buttermilk, butter, egg, and vanilla. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry, stirring until just mixed, being careful to not over beat. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins. Combine the remaining sugar and the minced candied ginger and sprinkle evenly over the muffin tops.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool on a wire rack.

I had nearly forgotten about this little jar of candied ginger--it was perfect for the topping.

How do you like your pears?

Carrot Cake Pancakes with Ginger-Maple Cream

It's that time of the month for another Improv! If you're not familiar, each month Kristen from Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker hosts a little party with a theme. This month the theme is Carrots and Ginger.

Why is it that I keep thinking that I have these really cool original ideas, only to find that they've been done? Again, when I googled my idea, it was all over the place. Carrot Cake Pancakes, indeed. Thank goodness they are good enough to repeat. Plus--these have ginger!!

Carrot Cake Pancakes with Ginger-Maple Cream

Printable Recipe

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons sugar

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

3 cups buttermilk, room temperature

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the griddle

1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple, well drained

1 cup finely shredded carrots

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

Heat a griddle on medium-high. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl.In another medium bowl, add eggs, buttermilk, and 4 tablespoons butter; whisk to combine. Mix in carrots, pineapple and ginger. Add to flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Batter should have small to medium lumps.

I found it easy to grate the ginger with a Microplane grater.

Mush the pineapple in a strainer with a spoon--then give the juice to someone you love.

Remember not to over mix. Small lumps are a good thing.

Brush a little melted butter on the griddle. Pour the pancake batter by ¼ cups onto the griddle, keeping the pools of batter 2 inches apart.  When pancakes have bubbles on top and are slightly dry around edges, about 2 1/2 minutes, flip over. Cook until golden on bottom, about 1 minute. 

You could just top them with some syrup at this point, but why not take it to a new level?

Ginger-Maple Cream Sauce (inspired by The Pioneer Woman)

1-1/2 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

3 tablespoons light corn syrup

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

Combine the cream, maple syrup, corn syrup, cinnamon, and ginger in a small, heavy saucepan. Heat on medium-low, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the mixture is reduced and thickened. Serve warm over pancakes. Or add some bourbon and serve over bread pudding.

If it looks familiar, it's because I used this (minus the cinnamon and ginger) with some added whiskey to pour over my Green Apple Pie. 

Be sure to click on some of the other links to see what everyone has been busy cooking!

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Orange Scented Sweet Potato Pound Cake

Ok, I'll admit that sweet potato pound cake has been done. I've seen it. I've googled it. It exists.  While many of the recipes I've seen looked quite delicious, my intent was to make a sweet potato pound cake that was just a little different. No nuts, no cinnamon (although cinnamon and sweet potatoes make a mighty fine combination), and no dense heaviness.  I wanted something that would celebrate the sweet potato as something worthy of a Spring food. Something light, citrusy, and sweet. To be honest, my first attempt was a bit of a bomb. Methinks I used too much sweet potato. Or maybe I didn't bake it enough. Oh, it was tasty, but the end result had a ribbon of paste near the bottom that was quite unappealing. So it was back to the drawing board.....

Everyone knows about Sarah Lee Pound Cake, right? My dad was a baker, and we still had Sarah Lee in the house when I was growing up. It is a bit of moist delish in a little foil pan. I was kind of going for that kind of texture, but with a beautiful sweet potato/citrus flavor. Not to toot my own horn, but---toot, toot---I succeeded beyond my expectations. Without further ado, here is my recipe:

Orange Scented Sweet Potato Pound Cake

Printable Recipe

1 cup butter, softened (I use unsalted butter)

1 ½ cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
¾ cup cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ginger paste (or ½ teaspoon powdered ginger)
2 ½ cups cake flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cardamom
½ cup milk
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange peel (I used the peel of one orange)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream the butter in the large bowl of an electric mixer. Gradually add the sugar, beating at low speed, then increase the mixer speed to high and beat until pale and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl sides after each addition. After all eggs are in, beat several minutes at high speed until the mixture is smooth and very pale. Beat in the sweet potatoes, ginger paste, vanilla and orange juice.

As long as I had the orange left over from grating the rind, I thought I'd add a little of the juice to the batter.

I found this ginger paste in the produce section of the grocery store. It gives the cake a subtle ginger flavor, but you can sub ground ginger or even fresh ginger, if you prefer.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cardamom.  Beating at low speed, add the dry ingredients in thirds, alternating with the milk. Stir in the orange peel.

Isn't it a pretty color?

Pour the batter into two greased and floured 8"X4" loaf pans (I like to use foil pans...maybe because I'm reminded of Sarah Lee...or maybe because I'll eventually bring one to work or give one away and the foil pan is easy to transport). Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, or until the top springs back when touched. Let the cakes cool completely on a wire rack before removing from pan to slice.

They smelled incredible at this point.

Take a close look at the crumb. The texture was very light and moist, and the orange, ginger and cardamom complimented the sweet potato perfectly. It tasted like Spring. Sweet potatoes really aren't just for Thanksgiving!

Perfect for breakfast with a cup of coffee or tea.

So that is my sweet potato pound cake story. Don't go thinking, however, that I'm done with the sweet potato. At the risk of turning orange from all of the beta-carotene, I have a couple more ideas.....