Chocolate-Pear Tea Bread - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup applesauce
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 pears, peeled, cored, and diced (Anjou pears, about 2 cups)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or chunks)

Preparation

Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350\u00b0.
Lightly butter a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.
Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper or waxed paper.
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer set on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
One at a time, beat in the eggs, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Mix in the applesauce and vanilla.
With the mixer on low, gradually beat in the flour mixture; mix just until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed.
Fold in the pears and chocolate chips.
Spread the batter in the prepared pan.
Bake until a pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour.
Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
Invert the cake onto the rack and unmold.
Remove the paper, turn the loaf right side up, and let cool completely.