Pear and Blueberry Crisp = Yummmm

Janet here: The air is getting cooler here in the Northeast, which has me thinking about fruit crisps/cobblers/crunches/slumps, etc. As a warm dessert, it really is at the top of my list. So in my quest to make just about every crisp option available, all as an excuse to eat fruit crisp which I just love, I tried this combination from Anna Getty's Easy Green Organic and really recommend it.

The combination of pear and blueberry is outstanding, the sliced almonds on top add some additional texture and the brown sugar sour cream is a wonderful change from vanilla ice cream. Really quite perfect. I would also like to add that another benefit of making crisp is that it is wonderful for breakfast, and with fruit as the main ingredient, I maintain it's actually healthy. Who else eats this for breakfast? C'mon. Fess up. You know you do.

Pear and Blueberry Crisp
serves 6-8

ingredients
about 6 pears, thinly sliced (I always keep the peels on my fruit for added fiber but if that bugs you, peel them by all means)
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla

for the crisp topping
1 cup flour
1/2 cup oats
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter cut into 1/2 inch cubes

for the sour cream part
3/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon light brown sugar

method

Heat over to 375 degrees
Combine the pears and lemon juice in a bowl. Add the blueberries, mix well and set aside. Melt two tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan and add the blueberry and pear mixture, sugar and vanilla. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 5-7 minutes until the pears just start to soften. Transfer to an 8-by-11-inch baking dish.

For the topping, mix all the topping ingredients together. Using your fingers begin to add the butter pieces, mixing it into the flour mixture until it starts to resemble coarse meal.

Spread the topping over the pear/blueberry mixture. Bake for 30-35 minutes until top is brown and the juices are bubbling.

To make the sour cream mixture, mix it together until the sugar dissolves. Then when ready to serve the warm crisp — always warm! — add a dollop of brown sugar sour cream to each portion.

Crumble or Crisp — Who Cares?

Janet here: Sometimes the inspiration for a post is the food. This time I was inspired by these cute Polish pottery ramekins that I recently bought. I HAD to find something to make for them and I had to find it FAST.


Anyway, as the first photo shows, I went with a fruit crumble. I'm not sure what the difference is between a crumble and a crisp — if any of you know please fill us in — but I do know they are both deliciously wonderful because they feature cooked fruit combos and the wonderfulness of oats and crispy brown sugar. While people often think of these desserts in the fall in the Northeast when apples are plentiful, really any time of year is crumble/crisp season precisely because the fruit doesn't have to be perfect because you bake it. I chose pears and blueberries for this particular mix, but you can do peaches and blueberries, peaches and raspberries — the possibilities are really endless. Serve them warm and get ready to listen to the oohs and aahs.

Pear and Blueberry Crumble
fills 8 ramekins or 1 baking pan

Ingredients
fruit part
4 ripe pears
1 pint of blueberries
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

crumble part
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup old-fashioned oats
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick butter, diced

Method
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut up the pears into wedges. Mix with the rest of the fruit ingredients. Let sit for five minutes

In a separate bowl mix the other ingredients together. I just do this with my hands because I don't have a food processor, but if you have one, obviously your life will be easier.

Bake 45 minutes until top is brown and the juices are bubbly. Serve warm or at room temperature.


Rachel here: So, I didn't bake with my fruit. Nope, no oven was turned on in my kitchen (at least, not for this post). Instead, I just whipped some heavy cream, sliced some strawberries and indulged in one of my favorite combinations of all time. There are few things so simple as strawberries and whipped cream and, with strawberries galore in our neck of the woods these days, I just couldn't resist. It felt so fantastically summery and the perfect amount of indulgent. I have to say, though, that now I find myself wanting some fruit crisp...or is it crumble?