Recipes that appear in Idea Alley have not been tested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
We are officially a week into autumn, meaning it is the ideal time for pear cake.
This recipe from Charlotte Shoptaw sounds divine. Shoptaw credits Southern Living with the original version.
Caramel-Glazed Pear Cake
4 ripe pears, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)
2 cups PLUS 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided use
3 eggs
1¼ cups vegetable oil
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1½ cups pecans, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Caramel Glaze (recipe follows)
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.
Toss together pears and 1 tablespoon sugar. Let stand 5 minutes.
Beat eggs, remaining 2 cups sugar and oil at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended.
Combine flour, salt and baking soda and add to egg mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Fold in pears, chopped pecans and vanilla extract. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until a wooden pick comes out clean. Remove from pan and drizzle Caramel Glaze over warm cake.
Caramel Glaze
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup butter
¼ cup evaporated milk
Stir together brown sugar, butter and evaporated milk in a small saucepan over medium heat . Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly 2 ½ minutes or until sugar dissolves.
Returning to the Old-Fashioned Spicy Oatmeal Raisin Bars that ran in the Sept. 9 column, Joe Riddle baked a batch to share here at work and after eating the bars, though quite tasty, Joe and I decided the recipe would benefit from a little more fat and sweetener.
I also heard from some Kats who thought the bars were too dry.
This revised version doubles the butter and adds maple syrup. But keep in mind these are more like granola bars than oatmeal raisin cookies.
Old-Fashioned Spicy Oatmeal Raisin Bars
1 cup raisins
3/4 cup water
2/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.
Combine raisins with water in a small saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain well. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the maple syrup, egg and vanilla extract and mix well.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Add to creamed mixture and mix just until combined. Stir in softened raisins, oats and nuts (if using).
Spread or press mixture into the prepared pan. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until set and golden around the edges.
Cool in pan before cutting into bars.
Send recipe contributions, requests and culinary questions to Kelly Brant, Idea Alley, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203; email:
kbrant@arkansasonline.com
Please include a daytime phone number.
Food on 09/30/2015