PEAR BROWN BUTTER CAKE

I've never cared much for fruit. Oranges always seemed like work, bananas were mush dressed up in pretty packages. Berries were a tart and unwanted distraction from what I considered the 'main event': ice cream, shortcake and the like. Plums, peaches and nectarines weren't even on my radar. Of the few fruits I did like, apples, grapes, watermelon etc., my favorite was always the moist & messily delicious pear.

I like pears, I can relate to them. I feel they're the underdog of fruit, at their best when they look their worst, and that's something I can get behind.

Last night I was craving all things naughty and good and so made a pear & brown butter cake. I even added some of the dark chocolate-colored butter solids to the batter for a little added sin. That's just how I roll. It was simple and delicious.

Pear Brown Butter Cake, makes one 9 x 5 inch loaf

1 1/4 cups butter
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp almond flavoring
2 ripe pears, cut up as large or small as you please (mine were about 1/2 - 1 cm dice)

Preheat oven to 325ºF and butter a 9 x 5" loaf pan.
Heat butter in a saucepan over low/medium heat until it has a nutty aroma and turns amber brown & the butter solids at the bottom of the pot are a deep chocolate colour. Pour off liquid (leaving solids in the bottom of the pot) and chill brown butter liquid in the freezer till it firms up, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. When the butter is solid, beat it together with the two sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, mixing after each, then the vanilla and almond flavoring. Add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar/eggs and lightly combine. Now, if you're me, you'll add a spoonful of dark butter solids, but you probably shouldn't, ok? Finally, fold in the chopped pear and pour batter into your prepared pan. Smooth the top and bake for 1 - 1 1/4 hours until cake is set and an inserted toothpick comes out clean (I probably baked mine for more like an hour and 20 minutes). Cool for 30 minutes, turn out onto rack and let cool fully.

Eat. And if you want to be extra bad (which I usually do) sprinkle some Riox Chocolade Hagel Puur on a slice.

THE MORNING STILLNESS

Good morning! I hear it's a little chilly in certain North American cities right now, but where I am the weather is perfect. I just enjoyed an amazing breakfast on my balcony where the air was crisp and the sky was clear. It has been an unnaturally dry October so far in Vancouver (or so I believe) and I am not complaining. Nothing really compares to sitting outside on a fall morning and starting your day where you can just see your breath, looking out at a pale blue and yellow sky, mountains covered in shadows and low mist rolling off the ships sitting on the bay.

Last night I made my very basic granola while listening to Nick Cave's Abattoir Blues (which I highly recommend as listening material when it comes to granola making.) This morning I was able to enjoy it with vanilla yogurt, prune plums, dried blueberries, and Earl Grey tea. You should make this granola, it's so easy!

Here's my recipe, the roots of which come from a recipe by Smitten Kitchen:

Basic Granola, makes two large baking pans

6 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cups sweetened (I often use un-sweetened) flaked coconut
1 cup sliced almonds
1 1/3 cups chopped walnuts
1/2 cup other chopped nuts (I used hazelnuts this time because they were on sale)
1/2 cup pepitas
1/4 cup flax seeds
1 tsp. cinnamon (my man loves cinnamon, you could use less or more, to your own taste)
a pinch salt
1/3 cup brown sugar (I often leave out the sugar, especially if I am using sweetened coconut)
3/4 - 1 cup light honey (I used a wildflower honey from the farmer's market that my man picked up and that smelled like heaven as soon as I opened the jar)
3/4 - 1 cup vegetable oil
2 - 4 cups mixed dried fruit (totally optional! I usually don't add any, that way I can customize my granola every morning)

Preheat oven to 375°F and line two large baking pans with parchment paper. Stir together, in a large bowl, all ingredients except the fruit. Spread the mixture evenly over the surfaces of your baking pans. Bake 15-30 minutes, stirring every five minutes and check often to avoid burning. Let cool for an hour or so before you add any dried fruit. My little tip is that after I remove the pans from the oven I like to press down on the granola with a wooden spoon before I let it cool, that way it sticks together and I can break it all apart into large delicious chunks.

I hope you have a fantastic Friday morning!