Here we go again with a challenge between bloggers. The first time was not long ago with the Foodista Challenge and I really enjoyed it. Today, I’m taking part in Bataille Food #17 (and yes, it’s not exactly new, but it’s never too late to get started!). With a seasonal theme, there was no way I could pass it up. And right now, when I think of seasonal fruit, I immediately think of pears. It’s a fruit I particularly enjoy!
For this recipe, I didn’t use whole almonds but flaked almonds, and I was largely inspired by the recipe from La popotte de Manue, which I had fallen for (so I tried whole pears in a cake!). This cake was eaten with friends, I really liked it but unfortunately it was a bit too dry (it’s my fault, I forgot to soak the cake with the syrup when it came out of the oven… don’t do as I did!). Pears poached in a vanilla syrup are just divinely good and incredibly melt-in-the-mouth ^^
But what is the Bataille Food?
It’s a culinary challenge dreamed up by Jenna from Bistro de Jenna a year and a half ago! The principle is simple: on the first Wednesday of every month, at 6 pm (mainland France time), everyone who has signed up, bloggers or not, simultaneously publishes their recipes, kept secret until that famous date. There’s nothing to win, it’s simply about enjoying sharing cooking recipes around a specific theme with two compulsory ingredients.
Bataille Food #17
It’s Béatrice from the blog Popote et Nature who is organising this new edition. Here is the theme: let’s invite autumn and the squirrels to our table! Indeed, you had to use 2 ingredients: seasonal fruit and vegetables and nuts. No fewer than 111 participants for this Bataille Food: a well-deserved success for such a lovely theme!
Ingredients & preparation
2 components · Complete recipe
Poached Pears
Ingredients
- 4 pears
- 1 litre water
- 250 g (8.8 oz) sugar
- 1 vanilla pod
Instructions
1
Peel the pears, place them in a saucepan and cover with the water and sugar.
2
Add the vanilla seeds and pods and bring to the boil. Maintain a gentle simmer to cook the pears — they should remain slightly firm as they will go into the oven afterwards. About twenty minutes should be enough.
3
Drain the pears and set aside the syrup for a later step.
Cake
Ingredients
- 150 g (5.3 oz) softened butter
- 150 g (5.3 oz) sugar
- 2 eggs
- 50 g (1.8 oz) milk
- 150 g (5.3 oz) plain flour + 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 150 g (5.3 oz) ground almonds
- a few drops of bitter almond extract
- 1 pinch of salt
- flaked almonds
Instructions
1
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F.
2
Mix the butter and sugar together. Once combined, add the eggs one at a time. If you have a stand mixer, you can use the paddle attachment — I used a spatula.
3
Add the flour sifted with the baking powder, then the milk, ground almonds, bitter almond extract and salt. Mix well.
4
Pour the batter into a large greased tin (or one lined with baking paper, as I did).
5
Place the pears on top, scatter over the flaked almonds and bake for 35 to 45 minutes depending on your oven. The cake should be golden.
6
As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, brush the pear syrup generously over it and leave to cool. Don’t forget this step as I did (oops) — the cake was a little too dry without it.
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