So you find yourself with half a dozen fresh pears on your hands. What does one do with Too Many Pears?
Pear Crisp
Filling
- 6 ripe medium-to-large pears, peeled, cored and chopped
- ½ cup (107 g) brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon corn starch – This filling will be very liquidy, particularly if your pears are super-ripe and/or juicy. A full tablespoon of starch will help everything pull together as it bakes.
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 2 teaspoons bourbon – optional
- Zest of 1 orange – This too, is optional. Bourbon and orange both get along extremely well with pears, but a love triangle of all three is a bit chaotic. You should probably pick one and give the other a lovely parting gift.
Crust
- ¾ cup (67 g) rolled oats – not instant or steel-cut oats
- ¾ cup (90 g) all-purpose flour
- 1⁄3 cup (71 g) brown sugar
- ½ cup (65 g) chopped nuts – Walnuts or pecans are traditional, but if you wanted to use hazelnuts, or even pistachios, who could argue with you? “Why, yes, Helen, I did use hazelnuts in the crust. **steely gaze** Thank you so much for asking.”
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted (about 1 minute in your microwave)
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease an 8”x8” baking pan liberally with butter. I like to smear a full tablespoonful around with my fingers. You know, for thoroughness.
Combine all the filling ingredients. Stir and set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine all the crust ingredients except for the melted butter. Add the butter, and stir the mixture with a fork, until it all pulls together into a lumpy, streusel-y texture.
Pour the pear mixture into the buttery baking pan, then top with the crust mixture. Place the baking pan on a lined baking sheet, in case of a bubble-over situation, then bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
Remove the pear crisp from your oven when it looks golden-brown and gloppy. Let it cool for 10 minutes or so; at 350°F, the brown sugar/pear syrup is dangerously hot. Aim for “warm and comforting” rather than “hot from the oven.” Top with vanilla ice cream, or serve with a milkshake. You won’t be sorry.
Featured photo: Pear Crisp. Photo by John Fladd.