This dessert recipe is incredibly simple and adaptableyou can use just about any fruit you have on hand.
The combination of pears and ginger is lovely in the wintertime.
Come springtime try rhubarb or strawberries.
Photo: Ali Redmond
Peaches or blueberries shine in the summer, and apples in the fall.
The cake puffs as it bakes, hiding the fruit inside.
It was delicious, the perfect vehicle for ripe summer fruit.
And so, I started making surprise pies regularly.
Eventually, I made so many iterations that I began to wonder about the origins of the recipe.
Surprisingly, it isn’t.
Historically, surprise pies took a darker turn.
In 16th-century France,royal courts reportedly prepared cage-like pastriesthat were served with live fowl inside.
When a diner cut into the dough, a flock of birds would fly out.
Is it OK to make another family’s recipe without ever telling them?
Was I unwittingly committing some sort of dessert erasure?
“What’s an easy dessert I can make with stuff I already have in my fridge?”
It was a source of community and connection, a sweet Southern comfort food for scared New Yorkers.
To me, this is what makes cooking so special.
It feeds us physically and emotionally, and adapts in tandem with our lives and circumstances.
Butter a 9-inch round cake pan, line with parchment and then butter the parchment.
Combine pears, 2 teaspoons sugar, lemon juice and ginger in a shallow bowl; toss to coat.
Let stand at room temperature to macerate.
Combine all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
Add the remaining 1 cup sugar and stir.
Add milk, stirring just to combine.
Pour melted butter into the prepared pan.
Pour the batter into the pan.
Using clean hands, lightly place the macerated pears on top of the batter.
Drizzle any remaining syrup over the pears.
Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, at least 20 minutes, before serving.
Sift confectioners' sugar over the top, if desired.
- Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient.
