Black Sesame Pear Sweet Loaf

This dense sweet bread is the perfect companion to a cup of tea on Sunday afternoon. I made this recipe using a mix of black sesame seeds and nigella seeds which are like black sesame seeds but perhaps less sweet. TR and I picked up a packet of them in Ireland and found ourselves wondering what to do with them. This loaf was the delicious answer.

1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons flour
1 cup almond meal or almond flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons + 1/2 cup black sesame seeds
1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 medium firm but ripe pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4 inch pieces

Preheat the oven to 325℉. Butter one large or two smaller loaf pans. Whisk 1 1/2 cups flour, the almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, salt and 2 tablespoons sesame seeds in a medium bowl. Grind the remaining 1/2 cup of sesame seeds in a spice grinder or a food processor to form a thick paste.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until well combined. Add sesame paste and beat until blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and egg yolk, beating until pale and fluffy. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture in three installments, alternating with the buttermilk in two installments. Toss the pear with 2 tablespoons flour and fold into the batter.

Spoon batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean: approx 1 hour, 40 minutes for a larger loaf pan, or 50 minutes for smaller pans.

Adapted from www.bonappetit.com