Polenta Cake with Bosc Pears

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Polenta Cake with Bosc Pears

 

1/3 cup stick margarine, softened

2/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar, divided

2 large eggs

1/4 cup skim milk

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup yellow cornmeal

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups finely chopped peeled Granny Smith apple

Cooking spray

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

6 small firm Bosc pears, cored and quartered (about 2 1/4 pounds)

1 teaspoon turbinado sugar, or granulated sugar

Cinnamon sticks, (optional)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preheat oven to 350º.

Beat margarine and 1/3 cup brown sugar at medium speed of a mixer until

well-blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add milk

and lemon rind; beat well. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (flour through

salt); add to creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in chopped apple.

 

Spoon batter into a 9-inch round cake pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at

350º for 28 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool in pan 5 minutes; remove from pan. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

 

Preheat oven to 475º.

 

Combine remaining 1/3 cup brown sugar, water, and cinnamon in a 2-cup glass

measure; stir well. Microwave at high 30 seconds or until sugar dissolves.

Combine pears and brown sugar mixture; toss well. Arrange pears, cut sides down,

in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Bake at 475º for 15 minutes or until tender. Turn

pears over; sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake an additional 5 minutes. Serve

with cake. Garnish with cinnamon sticks, if desired.

 

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 cake wedge and 4 pear quarters)

 

Source: Cooking Light, JANUARY 1997

Formatted by Chupa Babi: 07.10.08

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