Ginger Pear Quick Bread

Sometimes things really surprise me.  This ginger-pear quick bread is one of those such things. A pear bread sounds good, but with fresh ginger chunks??? Weird Huh? But it really wasn't. The pear and ginger combined into a lovely flavor, not to mention the wonderful addition of the lemon and orange zest. This recipe is a keeper and one you will be pleased to try. Super moist! You will be amazed!

Ingredients:

3 ripe pears
3 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and chopped in small pieces
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon
zest of 1 orange
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a loaf pan with cooking spray, then sprinkle it with all purpose flour. Turn the loaf pan upside down and tap out the excess flour. (I use the cooking spray that has flour in  it, called Baking Spray)

Peel, core, and cut the pears into small cubes. Stir the pears and ginger together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Pour the buttermilk into a small bowl; stir in the vanilla, lemon, and orange zest.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Using a mixer, beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl on medium high speed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 20 seconds between each addition.

Add the flour mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beating on low speed just until combined after each addition. Fold in the ginger-pear mixture.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake about 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Cool the bread in the pan for 5 minutes. Invert the bread onto a cooling rack. The bread will keep up to 3 days at room temperature, (Cool  the bread completely before covering it tightly with plastic wrap for storage) or up to 3 weeks if frozen. (Thaw the bread completely at room temperature and reheat it slowly in a 300 degree F oven about 15 minutes.)

Source: adapted from Baker By Night