2 1/2 c All-purpose flour
1 1/2 ts Double-acting baking powder
1/2 ts Salt
3/4 ts Cinnamon
2 c Finely chopped peeled and
-cored firm-ripe; (about 3)
; pears
2 tb Fresh lemon juice
1 Stick unsalted butter;
-softened (1/2 cup)
1 c Firmly packed light brown
-sugar
1 ts Vanilla
2 lg Eggs
1/3 c Finely chopped crystallized
-ginger
3/4 c Dried currants
Into a bowl sift together the flour, the baking powder, the salt, and the
cinnamon. In a small bowl toss together the pears and the lemon juice. In a
large bowl with an electric mixer cream the butter with the brown sugar and
beat in the vanilla and the eggs, 1 at a time. Add the ginger and the pear
mixture and beat the mixture until it is combined well. Beat in the flour
mixture and beat the mixture until it is just combined. Stir in the
currants, divide the batter among 4 buttered and floured loaf pans, each 5
3/4 by 3 1/4 by 2 inches, and bake the breads in the middle of a preheated
350F. oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until they are pale golden and a tester
comes out clean. Remove the breads from the pans and let them cool, right
sides up, on a rack. The breads keep, wrapped well in plastic wrap and
foil, chilled for 1 week or frozen for 1 month.
Makes 4 small loaves.
Yields
1 servings
