Gingerbread-Pear Loaf
 
Makes 2 (9x5-inch) loaves
Ingredients
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1½ cups firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup unsulfured molasses
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups whole buttermilk
  • 8 Poached Pears halves, recipe follows
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 2 (9x5-inch) loaf pans with baking spray. Line with parchment paper, allowing excess to hang over sides of pan, and spray again.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, salt, cloves, and nutmeg.
  3. In a separate large bowl, beat brown sugar, butter, and molasses with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla extract.
  4. Reduce mixer speed to medium-low. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk to brown-sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
  5. Spoon batter into prepared pans. Divide pear halves between pans (4 halves per loaf), inserting into batter, standing horizontally.
  6. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on a wire rack. Store, covered, in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Recipe by Victoria at https://www.victoriamag.com/gingerbread-pear-loaf/