Upside-Down Pear Gingerbread

Whenever I find seckel pears - miniature, gem-colored fruits with a scent that reminds me of a summer's garden - I make this cake. It's simple, but looks elegant enough for a formal dinner.

Butter your baking dish and spread a thin layer of brown sugar into the dish. In the meantime, melt some butter in a large sauce pan and place pears - cored, halved, and destemmed - cut-side down in the pan. Let pears cook till the cut surface begins to brown slightly.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3/4C white whole wheat flour

1/2 t baking soda

1/4 t pink Himalayan salt

2 t ground cinnamon

1 t ground ginger

1 egg, beaten

3/4 organic brown sugar

1/4 C maple-agave syrup or ginger syrup

1/2 C plain Greek yogurt

2 T olive oil

Arrange pears, cut side down. Blend all other ingredients to form a batter. Pour over pears. Bake until cake is a deep brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes before turning onto a serving plate. Serve warm or cold.