Variations for the Pear Crisp

I feel there is no better post to kick of October than a baked good featuring fall produce. I've never been a big eater of raw pears, but when it comes to baking, I'll turn to them first. This particular pear crisp is a riff from the crisp in The Easy Vegetarian Cookbook. It comes together fairly easily, is minimal on ingredients, and the perfect companion for a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of heavy cream.

If you've purchased my cookbook, you know there are already variations within the book for each season but within fall, I think you could really have fun with this recipe.

Pear variety: Play around with the variety. Some pears are better for baking while others are better for eating fresh. The Kitchn has a list of common pear varieties and how best to use them.

Apples: This might be obvious, but you can easily swap out the pears and replace them with your favorite baking apple. Or go wild and mix the two together.

Flavor: I've been in love with adding fresh ginger to dishes like this or a pinch of cardamom.

Pear Crisp

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Author: Erin Alderson
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins
Total Time: 40 mins
Yield: 4 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale

Filling
3 cups ¼" diced pears (see note)
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon whole wheat pastry flour or oat flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Heavy cream, for topping
Topping
½ cup oat flour
½ cup rolled oats
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon honey, warmed

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375˚.
Combine the pears with the honey, flour, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a 2qt baking dish. Toss until the pears are well coated.
In a food processor, combine the oat flour and rolled oats. Pulse in the butter and honey until clumps form. Sprinkle the oat topping over the pear mixture.
Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, until the topping is golden and the fruit is tender. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Serve a scoop of the crisp with a pour of heavy cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Notes

+ there will be more or less liquid depending on how ripe the pear is and what variety you are using. Use the ripest pears and I typically prefer Anjou or Bartlett (but will use whatever I have on hand.)

+Recipe a variation from the crisp recipe inThe Easy Vegetarian Kitchen Cookbook.

Featured Ingredient

Pears

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Another October, another Fair Trade Month. You may remember that last year I shared my favorite banana bread recipe in honor of Fair Trade and this month, I adapted a recipe from my cookbook to highlight two fair trade ingredients: honey from Wholesome Sweeteners and nutmeg from Frontier Co-op. As with last year, Fair Trade sent along a bit of information about Yolanda who harvest Fair Trade roses at Agrocoex.

Yolanda states: "I have received many benefits from the Fair Trade program. I finished my high school equivalency degree through a scholarship. My older son receives computer courses, also through a Fair Trade-sponsored program. And I am really hoping to move into the new housing complex when it opens. It will make my life much more convenient and allow better education for my two sons, as the schools are much better in Latacunga."

If you'd like to find out more about Fair Trade USA, be sure to pop over to the Fair Trade Website.

Disclosure: This post is in conjunction with Fair Trade USA in exchange for a box of fair trade products but all thoughts and opinions are my own. I like to support companies that are doing good through food near and far.

Pear Crisp

Variations for the Pear Crisp