Nov 12, 2018, Updated Oct 26, 2021
I buy pears this time of year in giant 5-lb bags. When they become sweetly fragrant to the brink of becoming overripe, I slice up the remainder of the stash and pop them into a baking dish for pear crisp. Leftovers are a rare thing for me these days with my husband’s parents staying with us plus our two always-hungrier-than-the-day-before boys. I smile as I set the table for six every day. It’s been such a gift having so much family around this year. But if you’re blessed with pear crisp remaining in the morning, it makes a delicious (and dare I say almost balanced?) breakfast. I grew up eating leftover fruit crisps and crumbles straight from the fridge with a pour of cold milk and that is still how I like it.
I use my hands to mix the topping ingredients. I press and pinch the butter into the brown sugar and flour mixture until it forms lumps. The texture should resemble wet sand, with no dry flour remaining. I then pinch up bits and drop them onto the pear filling so the larger pieces stay intact, rather than just tipping out the bowl over top. I like my topping like my granola — with lots of clumps. I use parchment paper for almost everything – positioning a layer under the fruit keeps the dish clean and allows the sticky caramelized edges to release easily. Serve it warm or cold, ideally with ice cream, and with or without plates (I obviously won’t judge). If you’re hungry for other options, I have a vanilla pear crisp recipe over here, with a custard sauce to go with it — and I really love that sauce.
