Pear-Filled Cowboy Coffee Cake

Name: Pear-Filled Cowboy Coffee Cake
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 ½ cups all purpose flour; 1 ¾ cups dark brown sugar; ¾ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes; 1 ½ teaspoons salt; 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon (divided: ½ teaspoon + 1 more teaspoon for the topping); ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg; ¼ teaspoon cloves; ¼ cup toasted wheat germ; 3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (almonds or pecans also work well); 2 teaspoons baking powder; ½ teaspoon baking soda; 2 eggs; 1 cup buttermilk; 1 ½ pounds (4 medium) pears (I like barely ripe Bartletts) (apples, peaches, Asian pears or fuyu persimmons may also be used); ¼ teaspoon cinnamon; ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg; Tiny dash of cloves (optional); 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

Instructions

This is inspired by my mother’s “Cowboy Coffee Cake,” a family favorite when we were growing up. I’ve always admired the cleverness of making the topping at the same time you make the cake. After all, if you’re using flour, sugar, fat and spices in both, why not spare yourself the step of measuring and mixing them a second time? The original recipe does not call for fruit, but I find that the pears improve it tremendously. I urge you to follow the instructions in the exact order stated. You want to mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients the minute you’ve finished preparing the pears, so you can put the whole thing together quickly, before popping it in the oven. Enjoy!! ;o) - AntoniaJames

Updated at: Tue, 30 Aug 2022 08:26:45 GMT