Pear Cake with Pine Nuts

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons pinenuts 
• 1.3 cups flour all-purpose
• 0.8 cup sugar 
• 0.1 teaspoon salt 
• 0.3 cup butter cold
• 0.3 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 0.3 cup cream fat-free sour
• 0.3 cup milk 1% low-fat
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest grated
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 0.5 teaspoon double-acting baking powder 
• 0.3 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1  eggs 
• 2 cups pears peeled thinly sliced

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• oven
• wire rack
• blender
• hand mixer
• toothpicks
• cake form

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Spread pine nuts in ungreased shallow pan.
3. Bake uncovered 6 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until light brown. Cool.
4. Spray 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix flour, sugar and salt.
5. Cut in butter, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until mixture looks like coarse meal.
6. Remove 1/3 cup flour mixture to small bowl. Stir in cinnamon and toasted pine nuts; set aside.
7. To remaining flour mixture in large bowl, add sour cream, milk, lemon peel, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda and egg. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.
8. Pour batter into cake pan. Arrange pear slices over batter.
9. Sprinkle with reserved pine nut mixture.
10. Bake 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on cooling rack.