Pears from the garden

Autumn - we're back at school, the weather is changing and the evenings are creeping in earlier and earlier.  It will soon be time to light a fire!  It's at this time of time of year that I love to spend time doing two of my favourite things on Sunday afternoons- a bit of baking and a bit of hand sewing.

We've recently harvested the pears from our two trees. We've had a great crop this year and enjoy sharing them with friends and cooking them as they ripen.

Here is the first of my family's favourite recipes using pears.

Pear and Raspberry Upside Down Cake
2 ripe pears
170g (6 oz ) raspberries
125g (4 1/2 oz) butter or margarine
125g (4 1/2 oz) caster sugar
100g (3 1/2 oz) self-rising flour
5ml (1 tsp) baking powder

Preheat the oven to180C/230F.
Peel, core and quarter the pears.
Arrange the pears and raspberries in the base of a lined and greased 20cm (8in) loose-based cake tin.
Mix together 25g (1oz) of the butter and 25g (1oz) of the sugar, spread over the fruit.
Place the remaining butter, sugar, eggs, flour and baking powder in a bowl and beat for a few minutes until light and fluffy. 
Spoon the mixture into the tin tin and level,
Cook for 25 - 35 minutes until cake is golden and springs back when touched.
Cool a little. 
Carefully turn out onto a serving plate.

I'm off for some sewing now!