Pears can be an overlooked and forgotten fruit. I think they get lost in the shuffle between summer berry season and fall apple season, but these late summer to early fall fruits are wonderful and complex. Like apples, there are different varieties that range in flavor profiles. This post celebrates pears in all their glory, with a range of recipes. If this is a fruit you’ve overlooked in the past, now’s the time to stop and enjoy one of my favorite fruits for baking.
Perfect Pear Desserts
For this spin on my granny's dessert I combined Swedish Cream with a poached pear puree and then topped it with a layer of poached pear jelly and put it on a base of almond joconde sponge cake. It takes a bit of time but is really quite easy to make!
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Aran Goyoaga's new book Cannelle et Vanille Bakes Simple includes this amazing recipe for meringue cake with roasted apples. I made it as written, except I did mine with pears. Aran has graciously allowed me to share her recipe with you.
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This pear pie with caramel is a perfect fall or winter treat. It looks stunning, but you'll be surprised just how easy it is to put together. Simply make a few components, then assemble and bake.
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This is sweet spin on the Midwestern staple, hot dish! The pears add their wonderful and distinct flavor, and cranberries give a tart kick. The combination is a fun twist on fall crisps.
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This pear cake is perfect for brunch or a coffee break. It's inspired by Scandinavian flavors and the pears are the star, but also features lots of cardamom and almond paste.
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This Pear Raspberry Upside-Down Cake is the best of summer and the celebration of what is to come in fall. I started by caramelizing the pears, as I would for a tarte tatin. Slow and steady is the trick to getting the right flavor and texture. The combination of the caramel pears, the bright raspberries and the rich cake is pretty close to perfection.
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A beautiful tart is a sophisticated dish to add to any table. The pears, almond cream and toasted almonds in this recipe are perfect compliments to one another visually and in flavor. I love serving this dish for the holidays because it is elegant, but simple to make. The tart dough is from SWEET by Helen Goh and Yotam Ottolenghi.
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This poached pear ginger cake is spicy with a kick of freshly grated ginger and tons of warm spice from cloves and cinnamon. It’s by no means an overly sweet cake, which is how I like them. The molasses gives it color and that edge of bitter that I love.
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As my beautiful pears ripened, the texture was as soft as an overly ripe banana, so I got the idea of making my banana bread recipe with chunks of the ripe pears. I added a bit of homemade granola, instead of the toasted coconut I usually put in banana bread.
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The perfumed sweetness of the pears in this cake meets the warmth of candied ginger and cardamom to create a sophisticated combination that tastes as comforting as Grandma's house feels.
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You can choose your favorite variety of apple to make this cake satisfy your mood—crisp, sweet, tangy, juicy, etc. The pears add a wonderful sweetness and additional layer of fruit flavor.
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Decadent, but light, these chocolate poached pears are the perfect ending to a rich dinner, but with a twist on the classic. Gorgeous and luscious, but absolutely no fat in the entire recipe.
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The flavors of this tarte tatin are a match made in heaven. The tartness of the pomegranate is a perfect match for the sweet caramel and the mellow flavor of the seckel pears.
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These tender and succulent poached pears are perfect with ice cream or sorbet. The pears are simple to make and beautifully absorb the poaching flavors of red wine and pomegranate.
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Decadent, but light, these chocolate poached pears are the perfect ending to a rich dinner, but with a twist on the classic. Gorgeous and luscious, but absolutely no fat in the entire recipe.
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This rustic and stunning pear galette recipe comes from one of my favorite bakers, Michelle Gayer. It's an easy-to make recipe and a wonderful way to learn about puff pastry.
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A simple poached pear is a beautiful and delicious dessert that is easy to make. This recipe is poached in homemade chai and drizzled with chocolate ganache to give it an elegant look.
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