Tender Pears with Golden Crumble (Print Version)

Tender, juicy pears topped with a thick, crunchy golden crumble. A comforting British dessert that serves 6.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pear Filling

01 - 6 ripe pears, peeled, cored, and sliced
02 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
03 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
05 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
06 - 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

→ Crumble Topping

07 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
08 - 1/2 cup rolled oats
09 - 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
10 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
11 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
12 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
02 - In a large mixing bowl, toss the sliced pears with lemon juice, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and all-purpose flour. Spread evenly in a greased 9-inch baking dish.
03 - In a separate bowl, combine flour, rolled oats, light brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the cold, cubed butter and rub with fingertips or use a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger chunks.
04 - Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the pears, pressing down gently to create a thick, crunchy layer.
05 - Bake for 35 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and pears are bubbling at the edges.
06 - Cool slightly before serving. Serve warm, optionally with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It rescues those too-ripe pears sitting on your counter before they turn to mush.
  • The topping bakes up thick and crunchy, not sad or soggy like some crumbles can be.
  • You can have it in the oven in twenty minutes without any fussy steps or special equipment.
  • It tastes like autumn even if the weather outside hasn't caught up yet.
02 -
  • Cold butter is the secret to a crumbly topping; if it softens too much, the mixture will clump instead of crisp.
  • Don't skip the tablespoon of flour in the filling or you'll end up with a soupy base instead of tender, saucy pears.
  • Press the topping down gently before baking; it helps it hold together and brown evenly instead of turning patchy.
03 -
  • Use a pastry cutter or two knives if you don't want to get your hands messy rubbing in the butter.
  • Taste a slice of raw pear before you start; if it's very sweet, cut back the sugar by a tablespoon.
  • Press the topping firmly enough that it holds together but not so hard that it compacts into a solid layer.
  • If the top browns too quickly, tent the dish loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.
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