Why it works:
A baked crisp anything is delicious. The bottom layer is fruit of whatever is in season mixed with a little lemon juice and some sugar or honey and sprinkled with warm spices. The topping is this delicious thick, buttery layer of oats and flour and more warm spices. When they bake together in the oven the flavors intermingle and intensify. The fruit flavors come out more and the top layers gets, well… crispy.
Then, there’s the topping. Vanilla ice cream is a close second for me, but I really prefer a light, airy whip cream like this one made with real vanilla bean pod at the end of a big dinner. It doesn’t feel as filling.
But the best part? The best part is it’s so easy to make. Throw it all in a baking dish and bake it until warm and bubbly. You can dress it up at the end. Read on for presentation tips.
I really think just about everyone loves a good crisp because if you aren’t currently in braces, sporting a bowl cut, and living with your parents well….it sure brings you back to those days with every bite. There’s just something about a crisp that is comforting and nostalgic, even if the memories make you cringe a bit.
The key is to use whatever fruit is in season and only the freshest, just-picked, perfectly ripe version of that fruit that you can find. A trip to the local farmer’s market is the best place to start.
Pear Crisp:
There’s peach crisp and mixed berry crisp in the summer. But now that it’s Autumn our choices are really apple and pear and I thought pear would be a nice twist on the classic. Pear Crisp with Vanilla Bean Whip Cream is moving its way up the chart, people.
But not all pears are created equal. There are different varietals of pears, some are more flavorful than others, some have more moisture in them and work better for purees and some hold up better to baking than others. So how do you choose? First of all, you want to select a firm but ripe pear. What does that mean? There’s a little bit of give when you squeeze the pear. It’s not hard as a rock but it’s not squishy at all. For this pear crisp you still want some of the pear consistency even after it’s baked. You should be able to bite into and get chunks of pear and know that’s what you’re eating.
So, for this reason, I decided to use a combination of Bosc pears, which are so flavorful but not as pretty and Anjou which has that beautiful red colored skin. Both can hold up well to baking and keep their consistency without falling apart on you.
Here’s a great article on the different varieties of pears if you are looking to learn more on the topic:
Tip: If you have some extra Anjou pear it would make a beautiful garnish sliced on top or on the side of the plate.
Whip Cream versus Ice Cream:
Again, you can’t go wrong with either topping on a warm, gooey pear crisp. The melting factor of ice cream is hard to beat. And for that reason, I’d have some vanilla bean on hand for those die-hard ice cream fans. But for those of you who are like me and want something a little lighter, I love this easy whip cream that is flavored with real vanilla bean pods. Yes, real vanilla bean pods are expensive. I buy them in bulk and then keep them in a glass mason jar in my pantry covered with saran wrap and a lid to eliminate moisture. And if you need to you can soak the whole pod (unopened) in warm water to reconstitute. The flavor you get from a real vanilla bean pod versus and extract and the little flecks of the actual bean in your whip cream or creme Brule or whatever dessert you are making, is all that.
Costco usually sells them in bulk around the holiday season or you can order online as well. Stock up and be ready for all kinds of holiday recipes.
Pear Crisp Ingredients:
(Serves 6)
Pear Filling
- 4 large ripe but firm pears, cubed into ½ inch pieces (Bosc & Anjou)
- Zest and juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 teaspoons of honey
- 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 Tbsp butter for greasing baking dish
Crumble Topping
- 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 cup Old fashioned oats
- ½ cup Flour
- 2/3 cup Brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup sliced almonds
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Vanilla Bean Whip Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 6 teaspoons fine sugar
- 1 ¼ teaspoons pure vanilla
- 1 vanilla bean (seeds scraped from the pod)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon salt
* Sliced almonds, sliced Anjou pear, strawberries or raspberries for garnish. Sprig of mint, if desired
Pear Crisp Method:
Pear Crumble
- Butter a square baking dish with 2 tablespoons unsalted butter. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix the pears, lemon juice and zest, vanilla, honey, salt, brown sugar, cinnamon and ground cloves in a large bowl. Mix gently with a rubber spatula and place in the butter dish. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer with a paddle attachment add the butter, flour, oats, brown sugar, vanilla bean, cinnamon, cloves, and salt on low until all ingredients are combined and you have a crumbly mixture.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes until browned on the top and crunchy crust has formed. Remove and let cool.
Vanilla Whipped Cream
- In a standing mixer the whisk attachment, or in a large bowl using a hand blender, beat the cream for 3-4 minutes until it thickens and starts to form soft peaks.
- Add in the sugar, vanilla, vanilla bean, lemon zest and salt and beat on medium speed for another 30 seconds or so. Taste for desired sweetness and vanilla flavor and adjust if needed. Serve or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Assembly
- Re-warm the crisp if necessary. Spoon the pear crisp into small serving dishes or parfait glasses. Top with the vanilla whip cream, a sprinkle of sliced almonds, and garnish with pear, raspberry or strawberry and fresh mint, if desired.
Presentation:
If you are making this dish for a family dinner, then I serve it right in the baking dish with the vanilla bean whip cream and ice cream on the side. I don’t bother with the fancy formalities. And honestly, usually there’s a few spoonfuls missing from the pan before it even hits the table. I’m not going to mention any names on who that might be…. but I am fairly certain that if you eat it straight from the pan and no one saw you then there are zero calories involved.
If I’m serving this for a dinner party, I’ve done it two different ways in the past and both have worked well. One is to bake it a ceramic baking dish and then rewarmed the crisp on low heat before serving the dessert course and scooping portions into a small glass dish of some kind where you can see all the layers (parfait glass or square bowl). Then topping each dish with whip cream and the fruit/nuts/garnishes.
The other way I’ve done it to bake the crisps in individual ceramic dishes and rewarming on low heat in the oven right before the dessert course and then putting out all the garnish options on the table along with the whip cream in a pretty container. Note: If you bake the crisp in individual brulee pans the cook time will be reduced.
Here’s a some of the serving dishes I recommend for a dinner party version.
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What to Serve for Dinner:
Now that we have the best part out of the way you may want to think about a couple of other dishes to go along with your Pear Crisp (maybe not – no judgement here).
For a dinner party I’d opt for something like my Pan Seared Scallops over Creamy Farro or this Steak Salad with a Mustard Creme Fraiche for a light dinner and salad combo. If you wanted to go really light, you could make this Fall seasonal Caesar Salad and add some grilled chicken to it. Or this Buttermilk Ranch wedge salad with Bacon & Crispy Vidalia Onions.
