Orchard Pick
Johnson Orchards Yakima, Washington
For more than 100 years, Johnson Orchards has brought Yakima Valley, Washington, plenty of beautiful produce, from peak-summer cherries to fresh autumn pears. At the flagship bakery, the Little Bake Shop, the orchards’ fresh produce is spun into baking gold, from Caramel Apple Pies to Lemon Danish. Its signature cookie is the Pear Oat Crispie, an oatmeal cookie packed with sweet pear morsels and buttery flavor.
Orchard Pick
The 200 Acres Arthur, Illinois
Once a homestead farm and now a bustling business, the 200 Acres is known for the Great Pumpkin Patch, an annual gourd extravaganza where outsiders are invited to admire around 300 varieties of pumpkin and squash grown there. At its Homestead Bakery, pumpkin delicacies are the order of the day, from cakey pumpkin doughnuts to the deliciously soft pumpkin cookies.
PEAR FRITTER LOAF CAKE
Makes 1 (9x5-inch) cake
While the fritter may be most associated with the rosy-red apple, the succulent pear lends itself equally well to the crisp and cakey fritter frontier. Loaded with spices, fresh pear, and smooth vanilla bean seeds, this fritter-turned-loaf cake is a sliceable entry in one of fall’s favorite fried dishes.
⅔ cup (133 grams) granulated sugar
⅔ cup (146 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar, divided
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (140 grams) neutral oil
½ cup (120 grams) sour cream, room temperature
¼ cup (60 grams) water, room temperature
2 large eggs (100 grams), room temperature
1½ teaspoons (9 grams) vanilla bean paste
2½ cups (313 grams) plus 1 teaspoon (3 grams) all-purpose flour, divided
2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder
1 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt
½ teaspoon (1 gram) ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon (1.25 grams) baking soda
1 cup (151 grams) ½-inch-chopped Bartlett pears (about 1 medium pear), divided
2½ teaspoons (5 grams) ground
