Small Pear and Almond Cakes
Adapted from Gourmet Magazine
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients
12 small bourbon poached pears (3 large pears if making an individual cake)
1 1/2 c whole blanched almonds (1/2 lb)
1 c plus 1 Tbsp sugar
2 sticks (1 c) unsalted butter, softened
1 t vanilla extract
4 large eggs
2/3 c all purpose flour
1/4 t salt
Special equipment: 12 (4 oz) ramekins
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Pulse almonds with 1/2 c sugar in a food processor until finely ground, then transfer to a bowl.
In a standing mixer, beat butter with 1/2 c sugar until pale and creamy. Add vanilla and mix to incorporate. Add eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition. Mix in almond mixture, flour and salt until just combined.
Lightly butter and flour ramekins, knocking out excess flour. Arrange on a baking sheet.
Divide batter among ramekins (about a slightly rounded 1/2 c per ramekin)*. Gently nestle a pear into the center of the batter, pushing down slightly. (Cakes will rise around pears as they bake.) Sprinkle pears and tops of cake with remaining tbsp sugar.
Bake, rotating pan halfway through baking, until cakes are just firm and pale golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer ramekins to a rack to cool.
Serve warm or at room temperature with reduced poaching liquid.
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To make an individual cake:
Grease and flour a 9 inch spring form pan. Place batter in pan, spreading it out evenly with an offset spatula.
Cut 3 poached pears in half. Thinly slice each pear half crosswise. Press down on the pears to fan them out slightly. With a spatula, place the pear halves on the batter, with the wide end toward the edge of the pan. (The 6 halves will form a spoke.) Push pears lightly into the batter. Sprinkle pears and top of the cake with remaining tbsp sugar.
Bake cake for approximately 40 minutes, or until tester inserted comes out clean.
Serve warm or at room temperature with reduced poaching liquid.
