Steps: |
| -Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and place one rack in the center of the oven. |
| -Liberally grease the inside of a 10-inch springform pan with butter. |
| -Combine the flour, almonds and 2/3 cup of the sugar, processing until a coarse powder forms. |
| -Add the eggs, oil, baking powder, vanilla and butter. Process until just incorporated. |
| -Add the milk and process just until the batter is smooth. |
| -Pour the batter into the prepared pan. It will only be about 3/4 inch deep in the pan. |
| -Put the remaining sugar into a shallow bowl or pie pan. |
| -Peel the pears. Cut them in half, and remove the stems and cores. |
| -Rinse the pears well in cold water, and while they are still wet, roll them in the remaining granulated sugar. |
| -Push the pears down into the cake batter, flat surface down, spacing them evenly around the pan. |
| -If you place them with the wide end toward the outer edge of the pan, it makes a nice wheel effect. The pears will be about 1/2 covered by the batter. |
| -Set the pan onto a cookie sheet. Bake in the center of the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until the cake is puffed and browned. |
| -Combine the currant jam and brandy, and brush this mixture over the just-warm cake. |
| -Remove the cake from the pan, and cut the cake into 6 wedges. Each piece should contain a pear half. Serve warm or at room temperature. |
Terrific with a dollop of whipped cream on the side. |
|
|
