Pear Recipes from Schmeg.com

   

I love pears, especially Asian pears. Here are a few recipes which I really enjoy -

Pear Crisp:
Arrange in 9 x 13 pan, sliced, peeled Asian pears (6-8 medium)

Use 3 tbsp. Lemon juice and just enough water to equal ½ cup. Pour over pears, sprinkle with cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg.

Combine 1-cup flour, 1-cup oatmeal, 1-cup brown sugar and 1 tsp. Salt. Add 1-cube butter and mix until crumbly. Sprinkle over pears and bake at 350 degree oven until pears are done.

Pear Betty:
4 cups sliced pared Asian pears ¼ cup orange juice

1-cup sugar
¾ cup sifted all-purpose flour
½ tsp. Ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. Ground nutmeg
Dash salt ½ cup butter

Mound pears in buttered 9-inch pie plate; sprinkle with orange juice.
Combine sugar, flour, spices, and salt; cut in butter till mixture is crumbly;
sprinkle over pears. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or till pears are tender and tipping is crisp. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream. Makes 6 servings.

Spiced Pear Cake:
Combine 2 cups sugar, ½ cup oil, 2 eggs.
Add 4 cups diced Asian pears.
Sift together 2 cups flour, 1 tsp. Salt, 2 tsp. Cinnamon, 1 tsp. Nutmeg,
2 tsp baking soda.

Add to pear mixture. Pour into 9 x 13 greased pan and bake for 1 hour in 350-degree oven. Can be served warm, hot, or cold. Frosted, plain or with whipped cream.

Pear Butter (a lot of work but worth the effort):
2 quarts pear pulp (about 20 medium, fully ripe pears)
4 cups sugar
1 tsp. Grated orange rind
1/3 cup orange juice
½ tsp. Ground nutmeg

To prepare pulp: Peel, quarter and core pears. Cook until soft, adding only enough water to prevent sticking. Press through a sieve or food mill. Measure pulp.

Add remaining ingredients; cook until thick, about 15 minutes. As mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking. Pour, hot, into hot jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Adjust caps. Process pints and quarts 10 minutes in boiling water bath. Cool. Test for seal. Yield: about 2 pints.

Apple Spinach Salad:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
4 teaspoons white vinegar
4 to 5 teaspoons sugar
¼ teaspoon celery salt
1/8 to1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 cups torn fresh spinach
1 medium unpeeled pear sliced

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, celery salt and pepper. Let stand for 10 minutes; whisk until sugar is dissolved. In a salad bowl, combine the spinach and pear. Drizzle with dressing and gently toss to coat.
Yield: 4 servings.