Reacquaintance

Have you ever been stuck for words when writing? Not because there was nothing to write about but because there was so much in your mind that nothing you try to write makes any sense?

It has been close to two weeks since I have been back from India. I haven’t yet written a single post this year. And I have been trying. I have written and unwritten fruitlessly. And the repetition is distressing. This has to pass, I keep thinking, this is just temporary. It happens. Doesn’t it?

While this ‘thing’, whatever it is, passes, I will leave you with a cake. This cake of delicious brown butter, ripe bosc pears and bittersweet chocolate was made back in the Fall but did not make it to the blog because I didn’t think the pictures did this most delicious cake any justice. I remember thinking as I looked at the photos,”Something is missing; something just doesn’t sing”.

“Think twice before you throw away something” my mother had always said. I’m glad that inner voice guided me to keep those photos – perhaps for a rainy day – just like this one. And while I write this, I ruefully wonder how many beautiful sentences I had already thrown away (deleted) instead of walking away … and coming back later to ponder upon.

But I do believe that once I get past publishing my first post in 6 weeks, getting past falling off routine and getting past the fact that all my valuable readers haven’t forgotten me I shall find that balance again.

I hope you have been well and had a peaceful Holiday Season. I wish you the very best for this year. I have missed all your lovely blog posts for the last seven weeks. I wish it was possible to properly catch up. Thank you for stopping by and encouraging me with your valuable comments and heart warming wishes. I have been lucky because of you all!

BROWN BUTTER PEAR CAKE WITH BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE

Recipe adapted from the blog Smitten Kitchen 

YOU NEED:

• All purpose flour: 1 cup
• Unsalted butter: 4 ounces
• Eggs: 3
• Baking powder: 1 Tbsp
• Salt: 1/4 tsp
• Sugar: 1 cup
• Bosc pears: 3 peeled and diced into small pieces
• Bitter sweet chocolate chips: 1/2 up

HERE’S HOW:

• Preheat oven at 350 degrees F.
• Use parchment paper to line a 9 inch spring form pan.
• Sift flour, salt and baking powder and divide into three equal parts and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat by stirring frequently. Keep cooking the butter until it turns light brown in colour and has a beautiful nutty smell. Take off heat and keep warm.
• Whip the eggs at room temperature until they are very pale in colour and thick in consistency. Add the sugar to this and whip for a few more minutes. Be careful not to over whip and deflate the mixture.
• The next step needs to be done very quickly and precisely. Add the flour and the brown butter alternatively: flour, butter, flour, butter, flour. Mix this try carefully with a silicon spatula taking as less time as possible until everything is combined.
• Pour the batter into the parchment lined tin.
• add the chopped pears and the chocolate chips on top and bake for 50 minutes or more if required.
• Check cake with a tester or a wooden skewer. Make sure it comes out clean as the pears release a lot of liquid and makes the cake batter slightly runny. If it doesn’t come out clean keep adding 5-8 more minutes till you get a clean skewer. The cake will be golden brown in colour and spring back when touched at the center.
• Dust with icing sugar when cooled and serve. It can also be served warm.
• Enjoy!