...Since I've fallen a good ways behind in my cooking, here's something for you!

POACHED PEAR OLIVE OIL BREAD

Author: Hip Foodie Mom

http://hipfoodiemom.com/2014/01/12/.....-sundaysupper/

PREP TIME
15 mins

COOK TIME
60 mins

TOTAL TIME
1 hour 15 mins

INGREDIENTS
* = Optional, added in

4 cups water
2 cups granulated sugar
3 small whole Bosc pears
1½ teaspoons all-purpose flour (for brushing on the pears)

For the olive oil batter:

4 large eggs
¾ cup granulated sugar
⅔ cup extra-virgin (good tasting) olive oil
⅓ cup melted unsalted butter
Finely grated zest and freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 vanilla bean, scraped*
1/2 teaspoon cardamom*

non-stick baking spray

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°.

Bring 4 cups water and granulated sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the pears; reduce heat to medium, and cook at a medium-low boil for 5 minutes or just until pears start to soften. Remove pears from pan; cool slightly. Trim the bottom off of each pear so that it is about the height of a 9 x 5–inch loaf pan. Lightly brush flour over the bottom ⅔rds of each pear.

For the olive oil bread:

Using your electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the eggs and sugar and beat on high speed for about 3 minutes. Drizzle in the olive oil and melted butter and continue to mix. Fold in the lemon zest and juice.
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet egg mixture and mix until evenly combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula if needed.

Spray your baking pan with non-stick baking spray. Arrange your pears (brushed with the flour) in the baking loaf pan and carefully pour in the batter.

Bake at 350° for about 60 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs clinging. Cool for about 20 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Carefully remove from pan and allow to cool completely on wire rack. Slice and serve immediately.

The only things I did not do here was poaching the pears for too long, as I used canned pears instead of the fresh ones.
(I prefer to use the canned pears in pear juice, NOT the ones in syrup - I wanted to control the sugar intake!)

Then I used a strainer to fish out the pears, let cool, and then flour and put in the bread.

The OTHER thing is - seriously, do *not* add the butter to this loaf. I say that because, you have the olive oil already in it and its more than enough to keep it moist. At best, use a smear or two for your loaf pan so that you can pull out the bread easier, that's it.

Note to self: I should have cooked down the juices from the poached pears to make a syrup, mixed with dried fruits and nuts and make chutney / spread for bread next time! *kicks self*

Ah well, enjoy :P