Honey-Glazed Pear Upside-Down Cake

• 1/4 cup chestnut or other intense honey
• 4 small or 3 large Bosc pears, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and cored
• 3 fresh thyme sprigs (optional)
• 1 cup sugar
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (1 stick), melted and cooled
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. In a 9-inch (not nonstick) skillet, simmer the honey until it begins to reduce, caramelize, and darken in color, 6 to 10 minutes.
3. (Do not let the honey burn.
4. If it starts to smell burned, turn off the heat.)
5. Arrange the pears, close together and cut side down, in a circular pattern in the pan (the stem ends should point toward the center).
6. Simmer over medium heat, turning them from one cut side to the other, until they begin to turn golden, about 10 minutes.
7. Flip the pears over to their curved side and scatter with the thyme sprigs if using.
8. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast, uncovered, until very tender, about 25 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and lemon zest.
10. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla.
11. Fold in the flour and salt; stir in 1/2 cup melted butter.
12. When the pears are soft, remove the skillet from the oven and brush the edges with the remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter.
13. Pour the batter on top of the roasted pears and scatter the almonds over the batter.
14. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
15. Let the cake cool for 30 minutes in the pan.
16. Run an offset spatula along the edges of the pan to loosen the cake; carefully invert the cake onto a serving platter.
17. Serve warm or cooled.

chestnut, thyme, sugar, lemon, eggs, vanilla, flour, salt, unsalted butter, almonds

Taken from www.cookstr.com/recipes/honey-glazed-pear-upside-down-cake (may not work)