Pear-Pecan Skillet Cake
Miz Helen's Kitchen
Ingredients
4 fresh pears, peeled, cored, halved
1 cup butter plus 2 tablespoons, divided
1-1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
dash salt
1 cup sour cream
2 cups pecans
Baking spray with flour
7 to 8 Maraschino Cherries
1/2 cup sparkling sugar
Directions
Heat a 12 inch iron skillet and melt 2 tablespoons butter, then place the pears face down in the skillet. Cook on medium heat about 2 to 3 minutes, just enough to tender and beginning to brown. Remove the pears to a platter to cool.
In an electric mixing bowl, cream the 1 cup butter, vanilla and the brown sugar. Beat the mixture until smooth and fluffy.
Add 1 egg at a time, mixing in between eggs.
In a mixing pitcher, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt.
To the mixing bowl, alternate the flour mixture a little at a time with the sour cream a little at a time, beating between each addition.
Fold in 1-3/4 cups pecans into the thick batter.
Clean the skillet that the pears were cooked in and spray it with a baking spray with flour.
Pour the batter into the prepared iron skillet making sure the batter is evenly distributed.
Place the pears, face up on the top of the cake batter, very carefully push them down just a bit into the batter.
Place a Maraschino Cherry in the cup of each of the pears.
Sprinkle the remaining pecans and the sparkling sugar on top.
Bake 55 minutes at 325 degrees until the cake will test done in the center.
Remove from the oven to a cooling rack and let cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Enjoy!