Cornmeal Pound Cake With Rosemary Syrup Poached Pears And Candied Rosemary Recipes

Steps:

• For pears:
• Combine first 6 ingredients in large saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add pears and bring syrup to boil, turning pears occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until pears are tender, about 20 minutes. Chill pears uncovered in syrup until cold, at least 3 hours. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.
• For pound cake:
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter and flour 9x5x3-inch metal loaf pan. Whisk flour and cornmeal in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar, then salt. Drizzle in beaten eggs by tablespoonfuls, beating constantly, then beat in vanilla. Add dry ingredients in 3 additions, beating just to blend after each addition. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
• Bake cake until brown on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool cake in pan 15 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack and cool completely. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap in foil and store at room temperature.
• For syrup and candied rosemary:
• Bring 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water to simmer in medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add rosemary sprigs. Simmer until syrup reduces slightly, swirling pan occasionally, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, transfer rosemary sprigs to rack and drain. Cover and reserve rosemary syrup.
• Pour baker's sugar into shallow bowl. Add drained rosemary sprigs to sugar, 1 at a time, turning to coat thickly. Place on paper towels. Dry at least 1 hour. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Let sprigs and syrup stand at room temperature.
• Cut dark ends off cake. Cut eight 1/2- to 3/4-inch-thick cake slices. Cut each slice diagonally in half. Arrange 2 halves on each plate. Drain pears. Stand 1 pear on each plate. Drizzle each dessert with reserved rosemary syrup and garnish with candied rosemary sprig. Serve, passing remaining syrup separately.

Steps:

• 1. Heat oven to 350. Butter a 9 in. springform pan
• 2. Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt and 1 cup of the sugar in a large bowl. Whisk together the buttermilk, eggs and melted butter in a medium bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Fold in the pears.
• 3. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. ?Bake until a toothpick inserted in the ceanter comes out clean, 45-55 minutes. Cool in the pan for 15 min.; transfer to a wire rack.
• 4. Meanwhile, heat the rosemary, the remaining 1/3 c. sugar, and 1/4 c. water in a sm. pot over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the sugar is melted. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit, stirring occasionally for 30 min. and up to 4 hrs. Discard the rosemary sprigs.
• 5. While the cake is still warm, brush the top and side with the rosemary syrup.
• 6. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream, if desired.
• 7. TIP: Springform pans are slightly deeper than cake pans, giving this cake a heft that's worthy of a holiday meal. If you don't have a springform pan, butter and flour a 9 inch round cake pan and bake on a baking sheet (to catch any overflow).