Pears are the perfect fruit for fall and winter baking, with different varities coming into season from late July to mid-winter. For best results, use fresh pears in these simple recipes.
Pear Crisp Recipe
A crisp or crumble is an economical and easy dessert recipe to prepare. Fruit is spread in the bottom of an oven-proof dish and then topped with a crumbly layer usually made of butter, brown sugar and flour or oats. As it bakes, the butter melts and the sugar caramelizes, creating a crunchy texture that contrasts nicely with the softened fruit beneath.
A cobbler is similar to a crisp or crumble, expect that the topping is more dough-like.
Ingredients:
For Pear Crisp Filling:
- 3 ripe pears
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Lemon zest
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp fresh grated nutmeg
- 1 Tbsp flour
- ¼ cup sugar
For Pear Crisp Topping:
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- Pinch salt
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Wash pears. Peel, seed and chop. Place in a medium bowl and toss with lemon juice.
- Mix in flour, lemon zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour and sugar.
- In a separate bowl, combine rolled oats, brown sugar, softened butter and pinch of salt.
- Spread pear mixture into a greased and floured 8” x 8” x 2” glass baking dish.
- Sprinkle oat topping evenly over pears.
- Place in oven and bake for 35-40 minutes.Remove from oven and serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Easy Sautéed Pears with Ruby Port Sauce Recipe
Pears and Port wine have an affinity for each other. Simple ingredients and quick preparation make this dessert recipe a fall favourite.
Ingredients:
- 4 firm, all-purpose pears like Bartlett or Bosc
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1/3 cup red currant jelly
- 1/8 tsp. ground ginger
- 2 Tbsp port
- Candied ginger for garnish
Directions:
- Wash pears. Keeping stem and peel attached, slice pears lengthwise into 4 pieces each.
- In a large frying pan, melt butter over medium-high heat and cook pears, turning till lightly browned. (Pears may need to be cooked in batches.)
- To a small saucepan, add red currant jelly and ginger. Warm over low heat, stirring until jelly is melted. Do not boil.
- Stir in port wine and remove from heat.
- Place cooked pear slices on plate.
Drizzle 2 tablespoons of ruby sauce over each pear and garnish with a few pieces of candied ginger. Makes 4 portions. Serve with easy-to-make coffee chocolate truffles for an elegant after dinner treat.
Quick Pear Clafouti Recipe
A clafouti is a French oven-baked dessert pudding. Cherries were the inspiration for the original recipe, though raspberries, peaches and fig clafoutis are also delicious. The impressive end result belies the little effort it takes to produce.
Ingredients:
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
- Unsalted butter to grease baking dish
- 3 ripe but firm pears, peeled, seeded and chopped
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Directions:
- Wash pears, peel, seed and chop. Place in bowl and toss with lemon juice.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Crack eggs into a medium bowl. Beat with electric mixer until foamy.
- Add milk, vanilla, sifted flour, sugar, nutmeg and pinch of salt. Beat again until smooth.
- Pour batter into buttered 9” ovenproof dish or pie plate. Scatter pear pieces over batter.
- Place in oven and bake 40-45 minutes. Batter should rise and turn golden when done.
Remove clafouti from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, which is a fine powdery sugar also known as icing or powdered sugar. Makes 8 portions.
Pear Soup Recipe
Pears also add an elegant flavour and healthy sweetness to fall and winter soups, like Parsnip and Pear Soup.
Exotic Winter Fruit RecipeFans of fruit bread will enjoy this light and simple recipe for persimmon fruit loaf.
Heather Zorzini - Heather Zorzini's stories, essays and photographs have appeared in the Globe and Mail, National Post, Toronto's NOW Magazine and ...
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