Candied ginger, fresh grated ginger and cubed pears combine to make a delicate quick bread that packs amazing flavor.
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Ginger Pear Quick Bread
Mother’s Day Brunch loaf or muffins: I wanted to create imaginative flavor pairings you don’t see every day, BUT must try because they are so amazing! Ginger pear is one of those incredible pairings. The tender crumb in this quick bread supports the delicate flavor of pear. The combination of fresh grated ginger and candied ginger adds a punch of flavor that blends beautifully with the mellowly sweet pear. I just love every bite!
Baker Bettie’s new cookbook inspired me with her sweet batter bread master recipe. I adapted her recipe with my add-ins and a little extra all-purpose flour to get a beautiful dome on top. I like this master recipe because it has simple ingredients I typically have in my pantry and it doesn’t use butter or sour cream/yogurt. It has a moist, light crumb texture and has just the right amount of sweet. This recipe is so complimentary to the ginger and pear mix ins.
Candied ginger and fresh grated ginger is a must in this recipe. But how on earth do you peel ginger?? I learned the most life-changing technique for peeling ginger from @femalefoodie. Use a spoon! What?? Yep. A spoon works perfectly…. Just use the spoon’s edge to scrape the peel off. You can even dig into the crevices and remove the peel from every spot of the ginger—not wasting a bit. Making candied ginger is super simple and has a wonderful sweet, yet tangy flavor that really adds dimensional taste to this quick bread.
Ingredients for Ginger Pear Quick Bread:
All-Purpose Flour: Even though the texture of the quick bread is quite tender, all-purpose flour is used instead of cake flour.
Baking Powder: This is the only leavening used in this quick bread recipe. The leavening will react when in contact with liquids and then again with the heat of the oven.
Oil: A liquid fat is used in this recipe so the oil is mixed throughout, creating a fluffy texture. Use a neutral flavored oil, like canola, vegetable, grapeseed, avocado.
Fresh Ginger: After you use a spoon to peel the ginger, just slice off the dried spots. Your ginger is ready for shredding or slicing and chopping. If you have leftover ginger pieces, cut into 1-2” pieces and freeze. You can grate frozen ginger anytime you need it for a recipe!
Pear: Slightly ripened is exactly what you want so the small cubes of pear keep their shape in the baked quick bread or muffins.
Coarse or Turbinado Sugar: Sprinkled on top of quick bread adds a delicious crunch and combines well with the candied ginger.
Ingredients Needed for Candied Ginger:
- Fresh Ginger
- Salt
- Granulated Sugar
- Water
How to Make Ginger Pear Quick Bread or Muffins:
Candied Ginger
- Peel ginger root with a spoon, perfect for scraping away the peel—especially in the little crevices. Then cut slices and coarsely chop until almost minced.
- Place sliced ginger in a medium saucepan with ¼ cup water. Add sugar and a pinch of salt. On medium-heat and stirring occasionally, bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer uncovered, stirring once or twice, for 9-10 minutes. The foamy bubbles will have reduced. The sugar mixture will still be a lighter color, but definitely thickening. Make sure the sugar mixture doesn’t turn dark or burn.
- Drain the ginger in a wire mesh colander.
- Spread ginger pieces across the wire mesh colander to let cool and dry a little bit.
- Use spatula or spoon to scrape candied ginger off the colander.
- Store in airtight container for several months.
Ginger Pear Quick Bread:
- At least 30 minutes before baking, allow milk, egg and pears to come to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 350° F and prepare loaf pan with non-stick spray. (For muffins: use liners and preheat oven to 400° F.) Recipe will make one loaf pan or approx. 14-18 muffins.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients—flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Peel and chop pears into small cubes. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients—egg, milk, oil and grated fresh ginger.
- Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredient bowl. Stir for about 30 seconds with a spoon or rubber spatula until just combined. The batter should still be lumpy. Try to handle the batter as little as possible.
- Gently fold in the pears.
- Fill the loaf pan (or muffin cups with the batter to about a ½ inch from the top of the liner.)
- Top with candied ginger pieces and then sprinkle liberally with coarse sugar.
- Bake loaf at 350° F for 50 minutes (or muffins at 400° F for 18-22 minutes) or until lightly brown and the top springs back when gently touched, or a toothpick is inserted in the center and comes out almost clean (with a few small crumbs attached).
- Let quick bread cool in loaf pan on a cooling rack for at least 10 minutes, then on cooling rack until room temperature.
- Store quick bread covered in foil or plastic wrap in refrigerator.
Make this tasty Ginger Pear Quick Bread as a loaf or a muffin for your Mother’s Day celebration!
–Kim
Ginger Pear Quick Bread
Equipment
- Loaf Pan or Muffin Tin and Liners
Ingredients
- Recipe adapted from "Baker Bettie Better Baking Book"
Candied Ginger:
- ¼ pound fresh ginger peeled, sliced, and chopped coarsely
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
Ginger Pear Quick Bread:
- 2 1/4 cups (270g) AP flour
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 TBS (10g) baking powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2/3 cup (151g) milk room temperature
- ½ cup (113g) neutral flavored oil
- 2 TBS fresh ginger peeled and grated
- 2 cups slightly ripened pear small cubes
- Coarse or Turbinado Sugar
- Candied Ginger see recipe above
Instructions
Candied Ginger:
- Peel ginger root. Cut slices and coarsely chop until almost minced.
- Place the ginger and ¼ cup water in a medium saucepan. Add sugar and a pinch of salt. Occasionally stir on medium-high heat, until it starts to boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer uncovered, stirring once or twice, for approximately 9-10 minutes. The foamy bubbles will have reduced and the sugar mixture will still be a lighter color.
- Drain the ginger in a wire mesh colander.
- Spread ginger pieces across the wire mesh colander to let cool and dry a little bit.
- When cool, use spatula or spoon to scrape candied ginger off mesh colander.
- Store in airtight container for several months.
Ginger Pear Quick Bread:
- At least 30 minutes before baking, measure the milk and set out with the egg and pears to allow to come to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 350° F and prepare loaf pan with non-stick spray. (For Muffins: Preheat oven to 400° F and prepare muffin tins with liners.) Recipe will make 1 loaf or approx. 14-18 muffins.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients—flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Peel and chop pears into small cubes. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients—egg, milk, oil and grated fresh ginger.
- Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredient bowl.
- Stir for about 30 seconds with a spoon or rubber spatula until just combined. The batter should still be lumpy.
- Gently fold in the pears.
- Fill the prepared loaf pan.
- Top with candied ginger pieces and then sprinkle liberally with coarse sugar.
- Bake loaf at 350° F for 50 minutes (or muffins at 400° F for 18-22 minutes) or until lightly brown and the tops spring back when gently touched, or a toothpick is inserted in the center and comes out almost clean (with a few small crumbs attached).
- Let loaf cool in pan on a cooling rack for at least 10 minutes, then on cooling rack until room temperature.
- Store uneaten loaf covered in foil or plastic wrap in refrigerator.
