Pear Bread

Received a lot of pears in my Bountiful Basket and needed to do something with them.  I found this recipe and I really like it.  I sliced pears and placed them on top but most descended into the bread.  Steve liked the bread just not the chunks of pear.  Next batch they will be omitted. 


Handy tip - to shred pears, peel the pear while it is whole and grate until you get to the middle.  You will end up with a square core when you are done but it is better then having your fingers in the grater.  I finally figured this trick out when I was on the last pear, up until that point I was coring and peeling and trying to grate the slippery pieces.

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup butter, softened
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups peeled and finely grated ripe, firm pears
2 teaspoons vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan or two 9″x 5″loaf pans.

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Scoop out about 1/4 cup of this mixture and combine it with nuts to coat. Stir back into the flour mixture.

In a separate bowl, combine butter, eggs, sugar, pears, and vanilla. Add the pear mixture to the flour mixture, stirring just until flour disappears and batter is evenly moistened.

Pour batter into prepared pan(s). Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until bread is browned and firm on top. A pick inserted into the center should come out clean.

Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then, remove from pan and place top side up on a plate or wire rack to cool completely.