Ahhhh, Fall

I thought this would be fancy. I loved the idea of a traditionally savory herb utilized in a dessert. Inspired by impending fall breezes, I was in the mood for pears. I had a vanilla bean at the ready in the pantry. I thought I'd use the recipe for pound cake my Mom used to make that was oh so moist and rich vanilla-y. This was the dessert with everything going for it–until I actually made it. I overbaked the pound cake and my pears weren't ripe enough. On top of that, my husband refuses to eat anything that "tastes like a Christmas tree."

So here it is for what it's worth. It didn't take a half bad photo and I'm sure it would have turned out alright had I used ripe pears and not overbaked the pound cake. I'm already thinking of how I can use the pound cake in some sort of bread pudding. More to come...

Sour Cream Pound Cake
adapted from Cooking Light April 2002

• 3  cups  sugar
• 3/4  cup  butter, softened
• 1 1/3  cups  egg substitute
• 1 1/2  cups  low-fat sour cream
• 1  teaspoon  baking soda
• 4 1/2  cups  sifted cake flour
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 2  teaspoons  vanilla extract
• Cooking spray
• Fresh blackberries (optional)
• Mint sprigs (optional)

Preheat oven to 325°.
Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). Gradually add egg substitute, beating well.
Combine sour cream and baking soda. Stir well, and set aside. Lightly spoon cake flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour and salt. Add flour mixture and sour cream mixture alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in vanilla.
Pour batter into a 10-inch tube pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Poached Pears 
adapted from Bon Appétit November 2006

• 3 cups water
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup dry or off-dry Riesling
• 3 fresh rosemary sprigs
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 8 Forelle pears or other small pears, peeled, stems left intact

Combine first 6 ingredients in large saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add pears and bring syrup to boil, turning pears occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until pears are tender, about 20 minutes. Chill pears uncovered in syrup until cold, at least 3 hours.

Rosmary Syrup and Candied Rosmary

adapted from Bon Appétit November 2006  

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 8 (4-inch-long) fresh rosemary sprigs

• Baker's sugar or other superfine sugar

Bring 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water to simmer in medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add rosemary sprigs. Simmer until syrup reduces slightly, swirling pan occasionally, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, transfer rosemary sprigs to rack and drain. Cover and reserve rosemary syrup.

Pour baker's sugar into shallow bowl. Add drained rosemary sprigs to sugar, 1 at a time, turning to coat thickly. Place on paper towels. Dry at least 1 hour.