Name: Spiced Pear Bread
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 1 cup Granulated Sugar; 1 cup Brown Sugar; 1 cup Vegetable Oil; 3 Large Eggs; 3 cups Pears, peeled, cored and diced; 1 cup Toasted Pecans, chopped; 2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract; 3 cups All-Purpose Flour; 1 tsp Baking Powder; 1 tsp Baking Soda; 1 tsp Salt; 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon; ¼ tsp Ground Nutmeg; ¼ tsp Ground Cardamom

We have just returned from an amazing adventure out West, to Creede, Colorado. The weather was amazing – crisp in the mornings and evenings and pleasantly warm in the afternoons. We left home when it was muggy and mosquitoey and entered an autumnal wonderland.

Mitch has a co-worker who lives out there and he invited us to come experience Colorado and take a break for a bit. We visited at the very peak of the Aspens turning and it was gorgeous. We could not stop taking photos.

While there, we had lots of adventures. We hiked, kayaked and generally explored. We took a ride on a steam train through the mountains, overlooking the most beautiful blue green river I have ever seen. We fed chipmunks by hand and saw wildlife we have never seen before. Our hosts were absolutely fantastic and we thoroughly enjoyed our time there.

During one of our adventures, we stopped at a produce stand and picked up some delicious Honeycrisp apples and some freshly baked quick breads. We tried three different flavors – pumpkin, zucchini and pear. These flavors screamed Fall and the pear bread was the best of all.

I love pears to begin with, and for Fall treats, they are right up there with apples and pumpkin. I decided I would try to make pear bread when we got home again.

While we were sad to leave our fun adventures and return to harsh reality, at least Fall is slowly arriving here in North Carolina. We can open windows and enjoy cool mornings again. Those darn mosquitoes are still out there for now, but hopefully their days are numbered.

Having never heard of pear bread before this week, I turned to the trusty Internet to search for recipes. Yep, sure enough, it’s a thing. After looking over a few recipes, I chose one to try from www.welcometothefamilytable.com.

I ran to restock our fridge and Aldi conveniently had bags of Bartlett Pears just waiting for me. I love a Bartlett, but I am sure you can use any variety of pear that you prefer.

The bread we had in Colorado was a consistent texture, with no nuts or bits of fruit, just nice smooth flavor. This bread goes in a different direction. I like a little crunch and chew in my baked goods. So I peeled and cored my pears, then diced them into small chunks.

I also like my nuts lightly toasted when possible, so I chose to toast the pecans. This is done easily enough on your stovetop, or pop them into the oven at 350ºF for 5-6 minutes. This brings out the flavor and aroma of the nuts beautifully.

The bread comes together very quickly, and makes enough for two loaves. You can wrap and freeze one or share one with a friend. Start by combining vegetable oil with granulated sugar, brown sugar and eggs and mix until smooth.

Next, you add the chopped pears and pecans and a splash of vanilla and combine.

In a separate bowl, mix all of your dry ingredients. The original recipe calls for cinnamon and nutmeg. I threw in some cardamom as well for a little pizzazz.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients and stir until well combined. Pour the batter into your 2 prepared loaf pans and bake for about an hour. Your house will begin to smell like a crisp Autumn day in no time.

I tend to find baking loaves of quick breads a bit tricky, so if you find your edges are getting brown before the center is set, cover the pans with some aluminum foil and return to baking.

Another trick I use if the bread still seems undercooked is to turn off the heat in the oven but keep the pans inside for a few extra minutes. The loaves are done when a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

This pear bread is moist and scrumptious on it’s own but a little pat of butter can’t hurt, either. Serve it nice and warm or at room temperature.

I am so glad we got to have such an amazing trip during such a tumultuous year. It was a wonderful time and the prefect way to usher in Fall, my favorite season.

Here’s to many more open-window mornings and hot cups of apple cider. Soon, my soup pot will be calling my name.

AuthorMelissa JoyDifficultyBeginner

Yields12 Servings

Prep Time20 minsCook Time1 hrTotal Time1 hr 20 mins

1 cup Granulated Sugar

1 cup Brown Sugar

1 cup Vegetable Oil

3 Large Eggs

3 cups Pears, peeled, cored and diced

1 cup Toasted Pecans, chopped

2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

3 cups All-Purpose Flour

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Ground Cinnamon

¼ tsp Ground Nutmeg

¼ tsp Ground Cardamom

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray 2 loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray.

Spread 1 cup of pecans on a shallow baking pan and pop in the oven for 5-6 minutes or until fragrant. Allow the nuts to cool a bit, then chop and set aside.

Wash, peel, core and dice the pears and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine vegetable oil, the 2 sugars and the eggs and mix until well combined.

Add the chopped pecans and pears to the bowl, along with the vanilla. Combine well and set aside.

In another large bowl, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom. Mix well.

Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients and stir until completely mixed through.

Pour evenly into the 2 loaf pans.

Bake for 60 minutes, or until cooked through. If the edges begin to brown before the center is cooked, cover the pans with aluminum foil. Allow to cool slightly before slicing and enjoying.

Ingredients