CARAMELISED PEAR BREAKFAST CAKES
Description
(makes 12 breakfast cakes)
Serve with Greek style yoghurt or if you prefer 50% yoghurt folded with 50% lightly whipped cream. These breakfast cakes can be prepared in advance and frozen unbaked. Cook directly from freezer allowing 3-4 minutes additional cooking time.
INGREDIENTS
3-4 medium pears (peeled and cored)
70g (7 tbsp) butter
100g (1/2 cup) brown sugar
185g (1 + 1/3 cups) flour (preferably high grade)
135g (2/3 cup) sugar
1 + 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
45g (3 tbsp) crystallised ginger (finely chopped)
3 eggs
125ml (1/2 cup) canola oil
5ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract or essence
1 + 1/2 tsp finely grated orange zest
METHOD
- Preheat oven to 180°C.
- Prepare pears: Cut 2 pears through the waist. Cut 1cm slices lengthways through the "bottom" halves. Grate the remaining ‘top halves and make up to 1 cup (150g) by grating remaining pears.
- To prepare the caramelised pears: melt butter and pour evenly into 12 muffin tins. Sprinkle brown sugar (about 2 heaped tsp) and arrange 2 pear slices in base of each tin. Place the tins in refrigerator to set the butter while you prepare breakfast cake mixture.
- In a bowl, sieve together flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, ground ginger and salt. Add crystallised ginger and toss together.
- In a second bowl place eggs, oil, vanilla and orange zest and lightly whisk together. Add grated pears and mix til just combined.
- Mix dry ingredients with wet ingredients til just combined (do not over mix or the breakfast cakes will be tough). Carefully pour batter over pears to fill muffin tins.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow to stand in tin for 5 minutes before removing.
- Serve upside down.
