When you have a plethora of pears that won’t last until the morning, make pear cobbler. It’s that whole lemon-lemonade philosophy! I came into a large windfall of sliced red pears that didn’t get used in a recent cooking demonstration because I couldn’t bear to see them be thrown away. I mean, not are pears a favorite winter fruit high in fiber, anti-oxidants, minerals and vitamins, they are just darn tasty. Plus, someone else had already done all the legwork, lovingly slicing them and tossing with a bit of lemon juice for freshness. So, with no shame (my son calls me a raccoon for this behavior), I skillfully rescued them from their ultimate demise in the dimpsty-dumpster. “Wait, I’ll take those!” I say like a brash bandit! And, when I got home, I whipped up this scrumptious Cranberry-Ginger Pear Crumble from ingredients I already had squirreled away in the pantry. That reminds me, next time I will add nuts!
Cranberry-Ginger Pear Crumble Recipe
- 6 pears, sliced (choose pears that are ripe yet still firm)
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons butter cut into bits
Topping:
- 1/2 cup almond meal
- 1/2 cup oatmeal
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons butter, cut into bits
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss first six ingredients together in a bowl. Pour pear mixture into a 9” x 13” baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine all topping ingredients and mix with the back of a fork until crumble and butter is broken down into very small pieces. Top pears with topping and pat down. Bake uncovered for 30 – 40 minutes, or until brown and bubbly. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or alternative of your choice.
Note: You can peel the pears if you like; however I prefer to keep the skin intact because it’s a rich source of nutrients. Remember, natural color (not artificial) usually indicates lots of vitamins and anti-oxidants.