Ingredients
TOPPING
5 tbsp unsalted butter
3 medium pears, peeled, cored, each cut into, 8 wedges
5 tbsp sugar
2 oz gingersnap cookies, about 12 two-in, ch cookies
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
CAKE
4 oz unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
Directions
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 10-inch springform pan.
2. For pear and streusel topping, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large
skillet over high heat. Add pears; cook, stirring often, until they
are tender and browned at the edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle 2
tablespoons of the sugar over, cook 1 more minute, then remove from
heat; set aside.
3. Crush cookies into coarse crumbs in a food processor or with a
rolling pin. Add 3 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons flour; mix
well. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and mix with processor or a
pastry blender until butter is the size of small peas; set aside.
4. For cake, beat 1/2 cup butter and the sugar with an electric
mixer on high speed until light. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well
after each addition. Pour in cream and vanilla; mix well. Stop mixer
and add flour, baking soda and salt; fold in gently.
5. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Arrange pears in a spoke design
on top; sprinkle with crumb mixture. Bake until a toothpick inserted
in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool at least 15
minutes before serving.
Posted By japlady@nwu.edu (Rebecca Radnor) On rec.food.recipes or
rec.food.cooking
Servings: 8 servings
Pear Cake With Gingersnap Streusel Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Cake; Dessert; German; Pear
The History of Recipes
It is quite feasible to follow the history of transcribed cooking instructions far back into antiquity, at least as far back as early Egypt, and possibly even further. Interesting though that is, in the main part, these old records were just very simple hieroglyphic recipes for preparing food.
Interestingly, the oldest recipe discovered, according to food historians is a collection of stone tablets in ancient Sumerian which describe the making of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made anyone who tried it feel `blissful`. Progressing into The time of the romans around 25BC a roman called Apicius wrote some documents detailing recipes cooked by wealthy Romans. In his works, he describes how the meals of wealthy Romans were divided into starters, entrees and desserts, known in latin as `Gustatio, Primae Mensae and Secundae Mensae`. Aspicius describes how the Roman cooks used many different spices and herbs, including some that we all recognise like bay, rue and parsley. Later, in the 15th century, people returning from the crusades brought back many foods and herbs from the holy land, such as parsley, basil and rosemary. These new foods and tastes led to a surge in recipe books, some of which still exist in academic collections. During the next few hundred years, the powerful and wealthy houses competed to serve up the most extravagent meals, and consequentially cooks and their collection of recipes were at a premium. However, it was during the 1800s that cookery and recipe publications really came of age. The Famous Mrs Isabella Beeton in the UK, and the equally well-known Fannie Farmer in the US, devoted their lives to collating, testing, and writing down recipes to help cooks of their time. By the time we get to the twentieth century, cook books are in great demand, mostly as a result of better eduction, more free time and having more money to spend. |
We hope you enjoy this Pear Cake With Gingersnap Streusel recipe.
