I don't bake. But that's for another post. Because today (and a few weeks ago) I baked.
My roommate, Elizabeth, went to Apple Hill this weekend. When I got back from Chicago, I saw apples and pears everywhere. I mean, everywhere. On the dining table, on the counter. A whole drawer in the refrigerator had been emptied in order to be filled with pears. She promised she would make me applesauce (with the skins on, the way we both like it). So I knew I'd be enjoying something tasty soon. (--I thought you would like to know that I just restrained myself from making a pun on the "fruits of her labor.") But the memory of a recent and delicious pear crisp (thanks, Jennifer!) was plaguing me enough to impel me towards turning on the oven.
So I made a pear crisp. I looked up some recipes; most of the ones available were for apple crisps and had way too much sugar. One called for vanilla, and I figured, why not replace that with rum? -- both have alcohol that cooks off to leave a good flavor. And besides, I needed to give myself more motivation to actually bake. I also compensated for my aversion to baking by not measuring. I realize that that makes it difficult for a food blogger to share recipes, but I'll try my best.
A few weeks ago when I made banana bread, I surprised not only myself, but also my roommates. I'm spooning out sugar into the bowl (not a measuring cup) and my roommates standing by are worried. ("You're not measuring?" one of them pipes up. "Oh no," says the other.) I get into my younger-sibling-poutiness and say, "I want to be good at baking, I do! I just... I just don't try hard enough!" Sarah and Maria try to be empathetic. "Me, too," Maria offers, nodding her head with understanding, "but not really..." Ah, well. I guess it's the youngest-sibling part of me that notices something needs to change but doesn't want to make the change.
Anyway, the bread turned out pretty well. Moist, banana-y. The way my mom makes it.
Pear Crisp
Pears:
6-8 pears, cored and sliced thinly
a few tablespoons of white sugar, depending on taste (apples require more)
1 tablespoon flour 1 tablespoon (or more to taste) of cinnamon
2 tablespoon of dark rum (optional)
a few tablespoons of water
Topping:
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
Mix sliced pears in bowl with white sugar, flour, cinnamon, and rum. Lay mixture on bottom of greased 13 x 9 pan. Add a few tablespoons of water over pears.
Mix oats, flour, and brown sugar. Cut butter into dry ingredients to make a crumbly mixture. Spread evenly over pears in pan. Bake at 350-365 for 40 minutes or until pears are done.
Sarah's Banana Bread
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup each white and brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup each regular and self-rising flour
pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4-1 cup chopped walnuts
Cream butter and sugars. Mix in the rest of the ingredients and pour into a loaf pan that has been greased and floured. Bake at 375. for 50 minutes
5 comments:
are there apple hill apples and pears left for dinner tomorrow? because that place is amazing!
Lisa, this post is awesome! I love the pictures and the familiar scene of your roommates that you paint with words, a scene familiar even for someone who has not been to your apartment. Haha, and I also love that you restrained yourself from busting out a ridiculous pun, except not really. Perhaps some day I'll try one or both of these recipes; they both seem fantastic! I hope you had an awesome time in Chicago. Chee-caw-goh.
Did you not have vanilla and figured rum was an appropriate substitute or did you have vanilla but preferred the after taste a more consumable alcoholic beverage? Either way it's funny and I love you!
haha, i like molly's comment :)...she knows you too well. i can't wait to make pear crisp again mmm...
I love that photo of the fruit!
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