Peary Good

I've been playing with my easy apple cake recipe over the last couple of weeks. When Mandy and I decided to throw some diced pears into the mix, I thought, why not make an all-pear version?

And so I did.

While the apple cake is a sort of comfort food, the pear version is kind of transcendent. It's almost like something you'd get at a fancy-schmancy restaurant, especially if you served it with a little boozy whipped cream on the side...

Pear Almond Cake
• 4 fleshy pears, peeled, cored, and diced
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar (a little less if the pears are really ripe)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 egg
• a dash of salt
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl (the moisture from the pears will help produce the batter). Spread into a 9x7–inch baking pan. Bake for 30–40 minutes.