Comforting Pear Crumble Dessert (Print Version)

Juicy pears topped with crunchy oat crumble. A comforting British dessert ready in under an hour.

# What to Use:

→ Pear Filling

01 - 6 ripe pears, peeled, cored, and sliced
02 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
03 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
05 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
06 - 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

→ Crumble Topping

07 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
08 - 1/2 cup rolled oats
09 - 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
10 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
11 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
12 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed

# How to Prepare:

01 - Preheat the oven to 375°F.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, toss the sliced pears with lemon juice, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and flour until evenly coated. Transfer mixture to a greased 9-inch baking dish.
03 - In a separate bowl, combine flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add cold cubed butter and work the mixture with your fingertips or a pastry cutter until it resembles coarse crumbs with some larger chunks remaining.
04 - Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the pears, pressing down gently to create a thick, uniform layer.
05 - Bake for 35 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the pear filling begins to bubble at the edges.
06 - Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm, optionally accompanied by vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The crumble topping bakes up so thick and golden that every spoonful gives you that satisfying crunch before you hit the tender fruit.
  • It comes together in under an hour with pantry staples and whatever pears you have on hand, no fancy techniques required.
  • Served warm with vanilla ice cream melting into the buttery crevices, it feels like a hug in dessert form.
02 -
  • If your butter is even slightly warm, the topping will turn greasy instead of crumbly, so keep it cold and work quickly.
  • Resist the urge to skip pressing the topping down, that gentle compression creates the thick, crunchy layer that makes this crumble special.
  • Let the dish rest after baking or the filling will be too runny and the topping will slide off when you scoop.
03 -
  • Use a light hand when mixing the crumble topping, overworking it will make the butter melt and the texture turn dense instead of crumbly.
  • If your pears are very ripe and juicy, add an extra teaspoon of flour to the filling to keep it from turning soupy.
  • Let the crumble cool just enough so the ice cream does not melt instantly, but serve it warm enough that the contrast still makes you close your eyes on the first bite.
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