Recipes Discovered

Individual Pear Crisp Recipe
Our favorite restaurant where we used to live had a fruit of the day crisp that was simply divine. It was served in an individual dish and topped with ice cream. The fruit of the day was usually apple, but one day we were there and the fruit of the day was pear, which happens to be Seth’s favorite fruit. Of course we ordered it and it was amazing and of course, they never had pear crisp on the menu again. For some reason, it has taken me until to realize that I can probably make a pear crisp.

For the crisp topping, I mix oats, brown sugar, flour, salt and cinnamon together. I reserve about a tablespoon of this mixture and then cut in cold butter into the rest of it. Sometimes I use a fork, but I find it easier just to crumble the butter in with my fingers. For the fruit, I use red anjou pears that are slightly under ripe. I tried making the crisp with ripe pears, but the fruit turned out pretty mushy. I core, peel, and dice the pears and then toss them with lemon juice and the reserved topping mixture. I divide the fruit between four 6 ounce custard cups, sprinkle them with the crisp topping, and put them in a 350 degree oven. I usually put the cups on a baking sheet to make it easier to get them in a out of the oven, and also to catch any filling that drips over.

It takes at least 30 minutes for the fruit to become thick and bubbly, sometimes 35 minutes. When they are done, I take them out of the oven and let them rest for 10 minutes or so. Then I top the crisp with a scoop of ice cream and serve. It’s not quite as good as the restaurants, but it’s a great treat anyway. Try making the crisp with apples, peaches, mangoes, or even a combination of fruits. They are all good and it’s fun to present everyone with their own little dessert.