Pear-Cranberry Crumble-Crisp

TexasToast R's Note:

I created this to have a little bit healthier dessert and use some fresh pears I had. My family enjoyed it, and I wanted to post it before I forget! Make sure to use ripe, juicy pears. Great served with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

• Total Time: 50 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

Filling

• 3 large pears , peeled and sliced
• ½ cup fresh cranberries
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1⁄8; cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping

• ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour
• ¾ cup oats (old fashioned is good)
• 1⁄8; teaspoon salt
• ¼-½ cup packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter , melted
• ½ teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. In a bowl, toss pears with cornstarch. Add in cranberries, vanilla and brown sugar and stir gently to coat pears. Pour into an 8x8 pan.
2. Mix dry ingredients for topping. Stir in melted butter and vanilla. Crumble over fruit mixture.
3. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15-20 minutes more or until topping is lightly golden and pears are tender. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

Reviews

[AnnieLynne]

Mmmm! TexasToastR - this is SO yummy (and easy)! We really enjoyed the oatmeal crumble topping - it was just sweet enough with a nice crunch from the oats. The only thing I would change the next time would be to use more fruit. I used 3 large pears, but there was still WAY more topping that fruit. (That wasn't a big problem for us, though, since we liked the topping so much!) I also had a hard time finding fresh cranberries or even frozen cranberries. So, I ended up soaking some crasins in water to re-hydrate them. It worked well, but I would definitely try fresh next time! We also threw around some ideas for different fruits - this is easily modified! (Maybe apples and cranberries or peaches and blueberries...?)Thanks for the great recipe! Made and reviewed for PAC Fall 2009.