Gingerbread With Pears Low Fat & Low Calorie

This sounds wonderful even without Graham Kerr's low fat, low sugar twists! But then, I'm an admitted ginger-head. Plus, I'm dieting and hungry. ;-)

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 16

Ingredients

• 1⁄2  lemon, juice of
• 3 (6 ounce)  pears, ripe but firm, Bosc recommended
• 1⁄4 cup light olive oil
• 1  large egg
• 1  cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1⁄4 cup molasses
• 1  cup cake flour
• 1  cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1⁄2 cup Splenda granular, Granular for baking
• 1  teaspoon baking powder
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 2  teaspoons cinnamon
• 2  teaspoons ground ginger
• 1  pinch ground cloves
• 2  tablespoons  chopped crystallized ginger
• 1  teaspoon brown sugar

Directions

1. Partially fill a bowl with water and add lemon juice. Peel the pears and cut them into quarters. Chop 2 pears into a small dice & place the pieces in the lemon water. Slice each quarter of the 3rd pear in 4 long pieces. Place them in the water.
2. Heat oven to 350ºF. Coat a 9"-X-13" baking dish with cooking spray & dust lightly with flour.
3. Combine the oil, egg, buttermilk and molasses in medium bowl.
4. In a large bowl, whisk the flours, Splenda, baking powder & soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger & cloves. Add the wet ingredients & mix gently.
5. Drain the pears and set long slices aside. Stir the chopped pear pieces & the chopped ginger into the batter.
6. Pour batter into prepared pan. Arrange long pear slices on top & sprinkle with brown sugar.
7. Bake for 25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.