Cinnamon Swirl Pear Bread

I am always looking for new bread recipes so when I saw this on the Mennonite Girls Can Cook blog the other day, I had to try it.

 But first, look what I scored over the weekend.  Let the decorating begin!

 For the bread, begin by cubing 3 C. of ripe pears and put them in a heavy pot with 1 C. water and 1/3 C. sugar.  Cook them until the sugar dissolves and the pears soften.  Strain the syrup from the pears and let both of them cool.

 In the bowl of your mixer, mix 4 beaten eggs with 1/2 C. softened butter, 1/2 C. honey, 2 tsp. salt, 3 tablespoons of rapid rise yeast and 1 tsp. almond extract. Add the cooled pears.

 Mix in the pear syrup.  You should have 1-1/2 C..  If you have less, add a bit of water to measure 1-1/2 C..

 Gradually add 9-10 C. of flour and kneed until it forms a smooth ball of dough. Place it in a buttered bowl, cover and let it rise for about 1-1/2 hours or until doubled.

 After it has risen, divide it into 3 equal pieces.  Roll each piece out to an 8 X 15 rectangle.  Brush with some melted butter.

 Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.  You can make some by mixing 3/4 C. sugar with 1 T. cinnamon.

 Roll it up and place it in a buttered bread pan.  Cover the pans and let rise until the dough crests the top of the pans.

 Bake them in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes or to an internal temperature of 190 degrees.

 Cover them with foil part way through baking if they get too dark. 

This is a wonderful bread. I will be trying it with peaches and apples too.