Polenta Cake with Bosc Pears

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder 
• 0.3 teaspoon baking soda 
• 2.3 pounds bosc pears firm cored quartered
• 0.7 cup firmly brown sugar dark divided packed
• 2 large eggs 
• 1.7 cups flour all-purpose
• 1.3 cups apples i use 2 granny smith apples peeled finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar 
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 0.5 teaspoon lemon rind grated
• 0.3 cup butter softened
• 0.3 teaspoon salt 
• 0.3 cup skim milk 
• 0.3 cup water 
• 0.3 cup cornmeal yellow

Equipment

• frying pan
• oven
• wire rack
• blender
• baking pan
• cake form
• microwave

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 35
2. Beat margarine and 1/3 cup brown sugar at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended.
3. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Add milk and lemon rind; beat well.
5. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (flour through salt); add to creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in chopped apple.
6. Spoon batter into a 9-inch round cake pan coated with cooking spray.
7. Bake at 350 for 28 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes; remove from pan.
8. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
9. Preheat oven to 47
10. Combine remaining 1/3 cup brown sugar, water, and cinnamon in a 2-cup glass measure; stir well. Microwave at high 30 seconds or until sugar dissolves.
11. Combine pears and brown sugar mixture; toss well. Arrange pears, cut sides down, in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish.
12. Bake at 475 for 15 minutes or until tender. Turn pears over; sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
13. Bake an additional 5 minutes.
14. Serve with cake.
15. Garnish with cinnamon sticks, if desired.