I know you're still waiting for the running post, but...

So, I have been working on the running post, but as I don't have any pictures of us all in our running outfits, I couldn't really finish it off.  Don't worry; it's coming!  I also have a Halloween post in the works.  I'll get to it.  In the meantime, I made something so easy, so divine, so wonderful tonight, that I had to share it:

Honey-Glazed Pear Upside-Down Cake

If that name doesn't appeal to you, I don't know what will.  And also, I'm not sure we can be friends anymore.  (Sorry the picture's blurry; it smelled so delightful I had a hard time holding myself back to take pictures while I could have been eating it!)

I first read this recipe about three weeks ago, and I've been dreaming about it ever since.  Two weeks ago, the grocery store was having a sale on all kinds of pears - Bosc, D'Anjou, Bartlett - so I picked up a couple of each, in anticipation of the recipe, which I hadn't read thoroughly enough to know that it called for 3-4 Bosc pears.  By the time I finally got to actually cooking the recipe this evening, there were only four pears still edible: two Bartletts, a Bosc, and a D'Anjou.  So I ran with it.  It was delicious.

First, you caramelize some honey in a pan.  Add pears and cook.  Then you roast them in the oven, pour batter over the top, sprinkle some sliced almonds on top of that, and bake.

Upside down, just out of the oven.  It smelled sooo good I can't even tell you.  Pears + honey + vanilla + lemon + almond??  Duh it smelled delicious.

Wait as long as you can after it comes out of the oven (I didn't wait long enough, and my cake had a large hole in the middle), and flip upside down on a plate.  Eat.  So easy, and so sinfully delectable.

The big hole in the middle of my cake, quickly fixed by stuffing it with the cake that remained in the pan.

I had Heidi over to help eat the cake, along with Stacey and Kristin.  We saved about 1/5 of the cake for Megan, who was at work, but we devoured the rest of it.  The recipe is supposed to yield 6-8 servings; we got 5.

Recipe (originally from here, and many of the instructions are quoted word-for-word):
Honey-Glazed Pear Upside-Down Cake

My modifications are mostly marked with asterisks, with references down at the bottom, so I wouldn't clog up the recipe itself!

1/4 c. honey*
4 small or 3 large Bosc pears, peeled,* quartered lengthwise, and cored
3 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)*
1 cup sugar
Finely grated zest of one lemon (not optional!)
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 c. flour (would half whole-wheat give this more depth?  I don't know... maybe I'll try next time)
1/4 t salt
6 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled, plus 1 tablespoon melted and cooled separately*
1/4 c. sliced almonds (buy these at the store, don't try to slice them yourself.  The structure helps hold the cake crust together)

1. Preheat oven to 350.  In a 9-inch skillet,* simmer honey until it begins to reduce, caramelize, and darken, 6-10 minutes.  Do not let honey burn; if it starts to smell burned, turn off heat.

2. Arrange pears, close together and cut-side down, in a circular pattern in skillet, stem ends pointing toward center (I didn't bother, as my pears were all assorted and different sizes). Simmer over medium heat, turning them from one cut side to the other, until they begin to turn golden, about 10 minutes.

3. Pour pears and juices into a 9-inch cake pan.  Flip pears over to their curved side and scatter with thyme sprigs (or sprinkle with ground thyme) if using. Transfer pan to oven and roast, uncovered, until very tender, about 25 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together sugar and lemon zest. Whisk in eggs and vanilla. Fold in flour and salt; stir in 1/2 cup butter.

5. When pears are soft, remove pan from oven, discard thyme sprigs and brush edges of pears with remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter. Pour batter on roasted pears* and scatter almonds over batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cake cool for 30 minutes in pan. Run an offset spatula along edges of pan to loosen cake; carefully invert cake onto a serving platter. Serve warm or cooled.

My changes to the recipe:
1. The recipe calls for chestnut honey.  I used regular clover honey.  It was still good.
2. I didn't peel the pears.  Mostly because I was so eager to bake the cake that I didn't read the instructions very well.  but still... yummy.  And also it adds more fiber, even if it's not as pretty.
3. I didn't have fresh thyme, so I sprinkled a tiny bit of ground thyme on top of the pears before I put them in the oven.  It was good, and added another flavor dimension.  I think if I have the chance, though, I'll try it with fresh thyme sprigs.
4. The recipe called for 1/2 cup plus 1 T, but I didn't feel like I needed quite so much.  I used maybe 6 tablespoons plus the tablespoon to melt over the pears.
5. The recipe says not to use a non-stick skillet, as they apparently don't go in the oven (?).  I just cooked my pears over the stovetop in a non-stick skillet and then dumped them into a 9-inch cake pan for the roasting.  The recipe reflects my changes :)
6. It won't seem like there's enough batter, but just pour/spread/spoon it evenly over, and it will turn out.


Enjoy!

<3
Eliza