More Breadcrumbs

Sunday Brunch: Pear Cranberry Crisp Recipe

Robin Bellinger
Published: Last Updated:
Sunday Brunch: Pear Cranberry Crisp Recipe

[Photo: Robin Bellinger]

I have to admit that this pear cranberry crisp was supposed to be one of our Thanksgiving desserts, but after baking two pies I recovered from my ambitious-first-time-hostess syndrome and decided the crisp could wait a few days. A fragrant, indulgent weekend lunch it was, then, and will be again if I have any say in the matter.

I used a mix of Bosc, Comice, and Bartlett pears. Use a fresh fruit dessert to enliven a brunch of leftovers, bake it in ramekins to serve as part of a fancier meal, or dish it up with nothing but thick, unsweetened crème fraîche or lightly sweetened whipped cream—all but the most health-conscious breakfasters will fall upon it happily.

  • Yield:8
  • Rated: 5

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 8 ripe pears (about 2 1/4 pounds), cored and sliced
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • Slightly rounded 1/3 cup rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Scant 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
  • Crème fraîche or whipped cream to serve

Directions

  1. 1.

    Preheat the oven to 375°. Toss the cranberries, pears, vanilla, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar together in a bowl with 1/4 cup water.

  2. 2.

    In another bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar, flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Drizzle in the butter and stir with a fork until the mixture is crumbly and all the flour is incorporated. Do not allow the mixture to come together into a ball.

  3. 3.

    Spread the fruit in a 9x13 baking dish (or in eight 8-ounce ramekins). Use your fingers to sprinkle the crumb topping over the fruit, breaking up any large crumbs (crumbs larger than 1 inch will not cook through). Bake until the filling is bubbling and the topping is browned, about 40 minutes. The juices should bubble thickly; otherwise the fruit will be soggy. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature with crème fraîche or whipped cream.

All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.

More Breadcrumbs
Comments
ADD A COMMENT

Have you cooked this recipe? Add a rating:

Comments can take a minute to appear—please be patient! Some comments may be held for manual review.

PREVIEW YOUR COMMENT