courtesy of Amy Palanjian

Recently, we were gifted with a bag of pears from a friend. Their neighbor had a tree that had gone into overdrive this fall and everyone seemed to be having a hard time using up the fruit. But not us—we’re big fans of free fruit and we fully intend to make the most of it.

In fact, this happened to us last year, too. With that pile we made pear butter, which I promptly devoured on everything from toast with butter to vanilla yogurt. But this year I went straight for a classic fall dessert with a Pear Crumble.

Typically, I prefer a slightly granola-like crisp or crumble over a cobbler, which can be more biscuit-esque, simply because I prefer the texture contrast it offers against the soft, baked fruit. Plus, one of the best things about a crumble is that it’s so easy—you pull the ingredients out of the pantry, and get to make a dessert that tastes like pie with a lot less work.

Yes, please.

Helpful Hint: It’s best to use real deal maple syrup in this recipe. It offers sweetness, yes, but more importantly, it has a depth of flavor that adds something special to the dessert. Look for a local source if you are lucky enough to have one, otherwise look for Grade A (slightly lighter in flavor and in color) or Grade B (deeper, in flavor and darker in color).

Another Helpful Hint: If you want to try a healthy variation, try substituting plain low fat yogurt in for half of the oil in the topping. It creates a really moist topping that will remind you just a little bit of scones. Yum!

Here are a few other pear dessert recipes, if a crumble doesn’t call to you:

• Rustic Pear Tart

• Caramelized Pear Upside-Down Cake

• Poached Pears

Categories: The Sweet Spot | Tags: Crisps, Crumbles, Pears
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