KELSEYVILLE >> The annual Kelseyville Pear Festival takes place on Saturday, Sept. 24. But for local gourmands — particularly those with a refined sweet tooth — some of the best moments come the day before. On Friday night, Sept. 23, the kickoff dinner draws a crowd. And earlier that day judging begins for the annual Pear Festival Dessert Contest.
Here are two recipes from past contest winners:
Golden Pear Cake Pops
1st place winner 2011 Rebecca Molloy
Ingredients:
1 yellow or white cake mix (ingredients as directed on cake box)
1 1/4 cup pear sauce (cook pears and mash, then cool)
2 teaspoons pear extract flavoring
1 bag yellow Wilton candy melts or almond bark, colored with gold edible powder
1/2 cup green Wilton candy melts (optional for leaves and stems)
1 cup homemade butter cream or purchased cake frosting
Lolly pop sticks and small lolly pop bags
Preparation:
Preheat oven to cake box directions. Mix cake as directed on cake box decreasing the water to 1/2 cup. Fold in the pear sauce and 2 teaspoons pear flavoring.
Cook cake as directed on the cake box. After the cake is cool crumble the cake with your hands. Fold cake frosting into the crumbled cake and mix well.
Form cake into pear shapes and freeze them on a cookie sheet.
Melt the candy melts in the microwave until smooth. Dip each lolly pop stick into the melted candy and then into a pear cake pop. Submerge the pop into the melted candy and let the excess drip off of the pop. Stick the pops into a piece of Styrofoam to dry.
The pears can be topped with a leaf and stem using the green candy melts. When set, each pear can be covered with a small lolly pop bag.
Martha’s Autumn Pear Cheesecake
1st place winner 2012 Martha Rose
Ingredients:
2 3/4 lb Bartlett Pears, (about 6 medium size)
Lemon juice
1 2/3 C firmly packed light brown sugar, divided
1 tbsp butter
2 C cinnamon graham cracker crumbs (about 15 whole crackers)
1/2 C melted butter
1/2 C finely chopped pecans
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1/4 C pear or apple jelly
Preparation:
Peel pears and cut into 1/2 inch thick wedges. Brush with lemon juice. Melt 1 tablespoon butter and add 1/3 cup brown sugar. Stir until melted. Pour over pear wedges. Allow to cool (about 15 minutes).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl stir together cinnamon, graham crackers crumbs, chopped pecans and 1/2 cup melted butter until well blended. Press mixture on the bottom and 1 1/2 inches up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack, and cool completely before filling (about 30 minutes).
Beat cream cheese, vanilla and remaining 1 1/3 cups brown sugar at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until just blended and smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just blended after each addition. Pour batter into prepared crust. Arrange pears over cream cheese mixture (decorative petal pattern).
Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes to 65 minutes or until set. Remove from oven and gently run a knife around outer edge of cheese-cake to loosen from sides of pan. Do not remove sides of pan. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 2 hours). Cover and chill 8 to 24 hours.
Heat pear or apple jelly and 1 teaspoons water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes or until jelly is melted; brush over pears on top of cheesecake.
