Author Archives: Brittany

About Brittany

Hi! I’m Brittany Wilmes, program coordinator at Pear Bureau Northwest. As half of the Communications and PR department at the Pear Bureau, I write about pear pop culture for The Pear Dish—sharing everything pear, from fresh recipes to community involvement to fun décor ideas. Have an article or idea to share? Feel free to email me! In addition to blogging, I’m busy sharing the pear love on behalf of the Pear Bureau Northwest…and eating USA Pears!

Caramel Pear Galette

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Easier than pie! This free form fruit tart is terrific with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of crème fraiche.  Ingredients 1 refrigerated pie crust (9-inch) 3 tablespoons of caramel sauce, divided 3 ripe Red or Green Anjou USA Pears ½ teaspoon cinnamon 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons milk 1 teaspoon granulated or turbinado sugar Directions  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring pie crust to room temperature as directed on package. Unroll the pie crust on a non-stick or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Spread one tablespoon of caramel topping on the crust, leaving a 1 ½-inch border. Peel, quarter and core the pears. Slice each quarter lengthwise into 4 even slices. Place pear slices in a bowl and toss with cinnamon and flour. Starting in the center, arrange the slices on the dough in a spoke pattern, in Continue reading →

Baked Stuffed Pears

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Tangy cranberries, walnuts, ginger, and cinnamon complement the sweet and spicy Bosc pear. Perfect for baking, Bosc pears hold their elegant shape. Ingredients               2 tablespoons chopped walnuts 3 Bosc USA Pears 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 tablespoons dried cranberries 1 teaspoon minced crystallized ginger ¼ cup honey ¼ cup water 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice Directions  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Cut each pear lengthwise, scoop out the core with a melon baller, and expand the opening to about 1 ½ inches. In a small bowl, blend the brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon. Mix in the walnuts, Continue reading →

Pear-Stuffed French Toast

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Buttery Comice pears are generally not used in cooking, but create a custardy rich filling in this luscious stuffed French toast. Using cinnamon swirl bread adds plenty of spice and a hint of sweetness. Recipe developed by Amy Sherman. Ingredients 4 slices cinnamon swirl bread, 1 inch thick 1 ripe Comice USA Pear 2 eggs 1 cup whole milk 1 teaspoon unsalted butter Maple syrup or powdered sugar Directions  Using a sharp bread knife, cut a pocket in one end of each slice of bread. The pocket should leave a border of about one inch from the sides of the bread. Peel the pears, cut in half and core them. Working over bowl, use a knife or the vegetable peeler to cut the pear into very thin strips. Spread open the pocket in the bread and fill it with pear Continue reading →

Pear Clafouti

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You can make this custardy French dessert using only the blender and a toaster oven. A splash of rum or brandy accentuates the flavors of the pears. Ingredients 2 Bartlett USA Pears, peeled and cut in half 2 tablespoons rum or brandy ¼ cup sugar 2 eggs ½ cup cream ½ cup milk ⅓ cup flour Powdered sugar Directions Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove the core and the stem from each pear half. Cut each in lengthwise slices ¼- to ½-inch thick and fan the slices out, keeping them attached at the stem end. Arrange the sliced pear halves in a non-stick or greased 9-inch pie plate with the stem ends pointing toward the center of the pan. Pour the rum or brandy over the pears. In a blender, combine the sugar, eggs, cream, milk, and flour and blend until smooth. Continue reading →

German Pancake with Caramelized Pears

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This large pancake puffs up in the oven but quickly deflates. Anjou pears hold their shape beautifully and add plenty of flavor to this breakfast entrée. Ingredients               4 eggs 1 cup whole milk 1 cup all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon salt 3 Anjou (Red or Green) USA Pears, peeled, cored, and sliced, about 3 cups ½ teaspoon cinnamon 2 tablespoons unsalted butter ¼ cup sugar Powdered sugar Directions  Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs then add the milk, flour, vanilla, and salt. Continue whisking until batter is smooth. Melt the butter in a cast iron or ovenproof 10-inch skillet. Add the pears and cinnamon and cook, stirring gently, until the pears begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the sugar and cook over medium Continue reading →

Pear and Pumpkin Snack Cake

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With whole wheat flour, pumpkin puree, and sweet and juicy USA Pears, this snack cake is a unique treat for boxed lunches or weekend gatherings. Ingredients 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2-½ cups peeled, cored and diced firm, ripe USA Pear, preferably Bosc 2 tablespoons granulated sugar ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 cup all-purpose flour ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour 1 cup brown sugar, packed 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter cut in ½-inch pieces ¾ teaspoon salt ¾ cup pumpkin puree ⅓ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1-½ teaspoons cinnamon ½ teaspoon nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground cloves ¼ teaspoon ground allspice ¾ teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 eggs Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish. Melt butter in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Continue reading →

Cheddar Pear Scones

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These crumbly buttery scones studded with tender pears are a beguiling sweet and savory breakfast treat. Best served immediately or reheated the next day. Ingredients 1 peeled, cored and diced Bartlett or Green Anjou USA Pear, about ¾ cup 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour ¼ cup sugar 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces ½ cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, preferably white 2 tablespoons whole milk 1 large egg Directions Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the butter and blend using a pastry blender or two butter knives. Add the cheese, milk, and egg and stir until the dough begins to come together, then add the pears. Generously flour working surface and place the Continue reading →

A Tribute to Torin Koos

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Leavenworth Olympian deserves recognition – and so does his community By Rep. Brad Hawkins The Washington State House of Representatives occasionally takes time during its course of business – drafting budgets and passing laws – to recognize people, groups and events that are significant and worthy of statewide credit. Torin Koos, Leavenworth’s own Olympic athlete, is more than deserving of such recognition. Last week, I was honored to sponsor a House resolution to recognize his accomplishments. Competing in his fourth Olympic Games this year in Sochi, Russia, Torin did our state and country proud. The second-oldest member of the 14-person skiing team, Torin tied for 37th out of 85 racers in the qualification race for the men’s sprint free event. Torin has proven himself an extraordinary athlete and remains the reigning U.S. national freestyle sprint champion, winning his eighth national Continue reading →

Torin Koos, National Cross-Country Champion

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photo credit: Toko USA USA Pears is a proud sponsor of Torin Koos, cross-country skier and Olympic hopeful from Leavenworth, WA. We caught up with Torin recently as he celebrated his recent freestyle sprint title on the slopes at Soldier Hollow, Utah. Torin’s training this season will hopefully earn him a spot on the 2014 U.S. Winter Olympics team, which would be his fourth Olympic appearance. Torin grew up among the pear orchards of the Wenatchee Valley, and he values both the beauty of his hometown and the healthy benefits of fresh USA Pears. Of his recent national title, he says, “I felt that as the day went on I got better and better. The qualifier was a little bit off, but every time I was like, ‘Okay, refocus and let’s do this. We’ve got Sochi coming up and I’ve Continue reading →

A Seasonal Salad from Hilary Finch Hutler

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I’m pleased to introduce a brand-new contributing blogger here at The Pear Dish, personal chef and recipe writer Hilary Finch Hutler. Read on for a quick Q-and-A with Hilary and her first recipe, a gorgeous end-of-summer salad! Welcome, Hilary! Tell us about yourself. I am a personal chef and recipe writer here in Portland, Oregon and I blog at tummyrumblr.com. I grew up in Eugene and worked in many restaurants as well as on a produce farm. Naturally, I fell in love with all of the produce that Oregon has to offer.   How did Tummyrumblr start? After several years of working as a personal chef, I stopped relying on recipes and started cooking based more on intuition and seasonality. I realized that I had been creating recipes for years but that I hadn’t been writing anything down. Tummyrumblr is Continue reading →