Fall is a time when I need to pick myself up from the lazy carpet of summer on which I have been laying, ripening with age, for far too long this year. Long sunny days of rustic torpor are not conducive to mental exertion and, in the words of Hercule, “ahhh yes, these little grey cells of the mind…they must be stimulated, mon ami”! So I decided to shoot myself. Sugar, a substance that I have only recently started to treat with the respect that it deserves, was to be the chosen silver bullet that would awaken the kraken in my brain which in turn would scare the shit out of the little grey cells and make them do something more than demand another glass of red or a quick nap on a deckchair. The chosen weapon was a cake, “three pear cake” to be precise, from “The Provence Cookbook” by Patricia Wells. My new found respect for the perils of sugar is manifested by the comparatively understated presence of sugar in our kitchen which scarcity flew in the face of the demands of this recipe. At first sight the sugar bullet is a medium calibre projectile specifically designed to hit the pleasure centres with a similar impact to that of being struck behind the ear with a stuffed seal (pace P.G.Wodehouse). It will daze you, but not put you down…..but it’s the addition of the sugar, egg and eau de vie glaze that is poured onto the cake, after its initial 40 minutes in the oven, and then replaced in the oven for a further 10 minutes to crisp and bubble. This small addition turns the gateau into a gator…a full metal jacket that would suit Vinnie Jones .50 Desert Storm in Snatch – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgBA1jA2-mo – beware:)
Looks fantastic! I always feel less productive in the summer, although I know most (crazy) people somehow think ninety degree weather is conducive to do a lot of things.
It’s like 90% spirits…conducive to falling down:)
Crikey, that looks good…
It is, Victoria, but the sugar alarm keeps going off:)
You do entertain with your words as well as your photos. I think I will make this cake for dinner guests later this week.
Stick to every little nuance of the recipe…I didn’t do the first cooking for exactly 40 mins (I took it out at 30mins because the top look dark enough, but to be honest the cake wasn’t firm enough). Also, it’s good if you have a springform as my cake tin ( removable bottom) leaked quite a bit. Good luck…it’s delicious.
Fantastic cake, look forward to pears and apples every Fall!
Me too…I love them:)
I thought the Fall were a band 😉
…and I thought Summer was a girl advertising trips around the world in a London telephone kiosk:)
I called the girl offering Greek – I had no idea what it was and was intrigued. The explanation was somewhat disappointing 😉
Just some irregular verbal:)
Highly irregular 🙂
🙂
It’s still summer here, Roger. I hope we get a break by the end of the month, but I’d eat that cake anytime.
I have slightly preempted the arrival of Fall myself as it’s been very hot here for all of September….but I’m thinking nice thoughts about Fall:)
This is beautiful. Fall is tough. But this makes it better!
Good to hear:)
Delicious. I love this time of year where we come out from under the suffocating heat of summer. And it’s cool enough to bake! 🙂
I must say that I regret the passing of summer as the long days disappear with its departure….
I don’t like the heat but I do love the long days. It’s hard to get going in the morning when it’s still dark.
Tell me about it:)
I’m glad to hear I’m not the only sugar addict when the FALL comes 😀 it’s terrible isn’t it though, you just can’t help yourself! Beautiful pictures, as always 🙂
I’ve cut down radically…got to keep away from crazy cakes like this one:)
I could Fall for this pear cake. And I just found a springform pan hidden on a high shelf… it’s a sign…
I have to get a Springform…maybe the name already has me looking forward to next year:)
I could easily plan a whole dinner party just around that cake. I love pears and it looks that good. Then there’s the little matter of the apple cream tart you posted awhile back. If you keep this up, I’m going to have to have more parties, then more friends, then more parties! Oh, where will it ever stop?
I’ve always felt as if I “come alive” in the fall; summer.wilts me.
This looks delicious. I also love the combination of pear and chocolate. I make a particularly mean pear and chocolate tray bake which is perfect comfort food for the Autumn weather in the U.K. We are doing surprisingly well this year though. Believe it or not it has been 73-5F all week. I was thinking of your funny cat story the other day and was wondering if anyone had ever introduced you to Henri The Existential Cat. He’s a bit of an internet sensation. You might hate the videos, but they never fail to cheer me up when I am having a bad day. I’d start with this one http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8jJuTYfa_E. If you like it then check out http://www.henrilechatnoir.com. He’s a dead ringer for our Miles so maybe that’s why it makes me laugh so much.
I’ll check it out, Emma….thanks for that:)
Let me know what you think. I’m sorry if you hate it.
Really funny…..we had a cat exactly like that, called Louie, when we first arrived in France….excellent youtubes:)
You should watch the one where henri goes to the vet and the one called the haunting that’s about Halloween.
I’m going have to check these out:)
All I can say is that this is such a gorgeous seasonal treat. I don’t even have any jokes yet this morning (pre-coffee)!
Jokes before coffee are unusual:)
My favourite type of sugar 😉
There lies the problem:)
Lovely variation of a pear cake, it’s the season for it. Thanks for sharing, Roger.
Cheers, Cornelia, and thank you for visiting:)
It’s always a treat for me to devour your posts, Roger.
🙂
Yes, please, I’ll have a slice.
Too late:)
mmm, that looks very tasty! I used to not like sweets, but since living here in France, I can’t resist the pastries here!
Patisserie is an ongoing problem in this house as well:)
I do have a few pears on our trees that must go into this cake. I’ll have to open my bottle of Poire William…a little for the cake and a little for me. 🙂
Poire William gives such a wonderful flavour to cakes and tarts….and is so good in a glass:)
Damn that looks lush! Get that sugar shot straight to the brain! 🙂
Shooting up now, sir:)
Fabulous – do you think it would translate to a 550 pear cake? We have a huge tree in the house we’ve just bought and I am dealing with a pear mountain right now!
Excellent…the problem with pears is the speed that they ripen and then rot…
Tell me about it….. 😦
🙂
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