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PEAR CRUMBLE

A crumble recipe is from my very old recipe book, which I had since my childhood. But it took years for me to even try the recipe. Once, I gave my hand to it, I never had to look back. When it comes to a quick dessert or when there are loads of Apples, Pears or any other fruits as a matter. This quick-fix recipe comes out to be handy. Pies are one best versions when it comes to desserts of this genre, but the time it requires and some little meticulous techniques all make a Pie stand 2nd in the row in my kitchen. I sought for this quick Crumble Recipe. Warm Crumbles - Crunchy with hearty Pear fillings, topped with Vanilla Ice cream are indeed a treat to the senses.

I don't bake a lot & it is not my arena. But when it comes to certain baked dishes, like Christmas Fruit Cakes, Eggless Cakes, Apple Pie, a few Cookies and this crumble recipe are the ones I have perfected and repeated. The Crumble recipes are so easy to make, and it's hard to get it wrong. There is something really cosy and comforting about a warm crumble topped with Vanilla Ice cream or cold Custards. This Crumble recipe is our latest favourite at home, and I am frequenting it very often these days with various fruits like Apple, Pear, Berries and yet to try my favourite one - The Peach Crumble.

PEAR CRUMBLE WITH VANILLA ICE CREAM

When you have loads of fresh fruits and berries, it is best to enjoy it in a delicious dessert. So English are these Desserts which comes in the name of Pie, Cobbler, Crumble, Tart etc., And I have always wondered what is the difference between these desserts.

PIE & TART:

PIE is a dessert which has a bottom crust with a filling, couple of inches tall. And some pies are topped with a second crust, latticed or decorated, or just a sheet of crust with small incisions over it. It is baked in a Pie Plate. Yes, I forgot to say, Pie can be Sweet or Savoury(whenever it is Pie I remember the Rabbit Pie from one of Enid Blyton's Famous Five Series). Then TART - I thought that Pie and tart were the same. Though similar to the nature, the difference is that Tarts have thicker crusts with a filling. They are baked in a Tart Pan which are shallow with ridges or fluted edges. Some Tart pans have removable bottom portions which could be removed when baked, which helps in removing the tart once baked. Then the major difference is that a Tart never have a second or the top crust.

CRUMBLE & COBBLER:

Crumbles & Cobbler - Both doesn't have a bottom crust. The fruit filling is placed in a deep dish(pie pan/baking dish) then it can be topped with a crumbly crust. For Crumbles, we can use Flours, Oats, slivered nuts mixed along with Sugar/Brown Sugar & Butter, which becomes crumbly, streusel like mixture and becomes crunchy when baked. But in a Cobbler, the fruit filling is topped with dollops of biscuit dough or batter.

PEAR CRUMBLE:

So, now with a bit of knowledge about these similar desserts, let's come back to our Pear Crumble. The two main steps which has to be done while making a Crumble are:

Spiced Pear Filling
The Crumble Mixture

Pear Filling:

After all, this is Pear Crumble, so we need loads of Pears. I had a few Pears lying in my refrigerator, Crunchiness and flavour all got together. Ha, Ha!!! I wanted to finish off the never ever otherwise touched Pears lying in my refrigerator. So here goes some Pear recipes just with the idea of finishing the Pears.

THE PEAR FILLING

Anyway, let's see what makes a great Pear Filling,

Pears – Make sure to slice the Pears into uniform sizes. The amount of filling is as your heart desires. So use loads of Pears if you prefer a whole lot of Pears in your Pear Crumble.
Spices – The warmness of Spices is all about Pear Crumble. Some recipes call for Cinnamon, some add Nutmeg/Clove/Allspice. I love the aroma of Cinnamon & Nutmeg in a Crumble Recipe. And don't forget to add a bit of Ginger in a Pear Crumble. It gives a wonderful flavour along with the spices.
Lemon – Lemon prevents the Pears from oxidizing(browning). What you need is just a bit which will help keep the flavours intact and also keeps the pear slices white.
Sugar – Sugar sweetens the Pear filling. I have used Brown Sugar. And have cooked it along with the Pears & Spices, until the pears are half cooked and all the sugar turns out into a caramel-like sauce along with the juices from the Pears.

The Crumble:

CRUMBLE MIXTURE

Making Crumble is so easy & you may hardly go wrong. It is too straight forward. I love to add some slivered and toasted Almonds along with flour for that nutty and crunchy Crumble topping.

Some recipes call for Oats flour or Oats instead of All-purpose flour.

As I live in Tropical regions, the weather is mostly humid. So I always use COLD BUTTER. Cut butter into small cubes and keep it refrigerated until use. I don't have a food processor, so I use my hands to make this crumble. So, I suggest keeping your hands cold. While mixing the flour, sugar & butter, the heat may melt way the butter making the topping a bit of a dough like.

So using your fingertips rub the butter into the flour and sugar. You want the texture to be like streusel mixture or breadcrumbs. Then stir in those toasted almonds for extra crunchiness & texture. And when it comes to Sugar, I would recommend for Brown sugar or light Brown sugar, which gives the needed texture in a Crumble.

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Cuisine - Around the World

Recipe Type - Crumble

Difficulty - Medium

Serves - 6-8

Author - SM

Preparation Time - 30 - 45 Minutes

Cooking Time (Apple Filling) - 7-10 Minutes

Baking Time - 30-45 Minutes

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HOW TO MAKE PEAR CRUMBLE

PEAR CRUMBLE

INGREDIENTS:

For Pear Filling:

Pears - 6 Nos.
Brown Sugar - 120 Grams
Lemon Juice - 1 Tablespoon
Cinnamon & Nutmeg Powder - 1/4 Teaspoon
Ginger - 1/2 Teaspoon

For Crumble:

All-purpose flour - 100 Grams
Blanched & Toasted Almonds - 50 Grams
Brown Sugar - 75 Grams
Cold Unsalted Butter - 75 Grams

Cinnamon & Nutmeg Powder - 1/2 Teaspoon
Salt - To Taste

METHOD:

For Pear Filling:

Wash, peel & core the Pears.
Cut them into small or chunky pieces of uniform size.
Immediately, add a drizzle of Lemon Juice and give a quick stir.
This is to avoid oxidization of the Pears & prevents them from de-colouration.
Sprinkle Brown Sugar, grated Ginger, Cinnamon & Nutmeg Powder and give a good toss.
Cook this on a medium–low heat for about 5–10 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved.
Cook until the pear is just starting to soften & all the sugar turns out into a caramel-like sauce along with the juices from the pears.
Boil it until the sauce thickens or until it the Pears are well coated with the Sauce.
Switch off the flame and leave this aside.

For the Crumble:

Blanch the Almonds, Sliver them into thin slices, and toast them on a low flame until crispy.
Chill the bowl in which you are going to prepare the crumble.
Cut butter into cubes and leave it in the refrigerator until use.
In a bowl, combine All-purpose Flour, Almond Slivers, salt & brown sugar.
Mix until well combined.
Add chilled butter cubes to the flour.
Gently toss it up with a fork until it crumbles.
Alternatively use your fingertips, gently rub the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs/streusel mixture.
Make sure that your hand & finger are cold while doing this step. Can dip your hands in ice-cold water and wipe off any moistness before doing the process.
This is to avoid melting the butter, which will alter the texture of the crumble.
If you have a food processor, the job gets easier. I do not have one & did the step using my hands or simply toss-up the ingredients using a fork.
If using a food processor, place the flour, butter and process, using the pulse button, for 10-15 seconds until the mixture is crumbly.
Leave this in the refrigerator until use.

PEAR CRUMBLE

For Pear Crumble:

Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
Take an ovenproof dish, big enough to hold all the ingredients.
Grease the baking dish with a bit of butter.
Now, spread out the Pear Filling in the baking dish.
Pour in any sauce left in the pan & even it out with a spatula.

Now, sprinkle the crumble in an even layer over the top of the Pear Filling.

Place the dish on the middle rack in the Oven.
Bake for about 30 Minutes. Then turn the baking dish around halfway through cooking.
The Crumble would be ready when the topping turns golden, and the juices starts to bubble out.

It took around 30-45 minutes for me to bake this Pear crumble.
Serve Pear Crumble warm, topped with a hearty dollop of Vanilla Ice cream or Custard.

PEAR CRUMBLE WITH ICE CREAM

NOTES:

I have used slivered and toasted Almonds in the crumble mixture.
Can swap it with your preferred nuts.
I have a bit of Ginger in this Pear Crumble which gives a wonderful note of flavour. But adding ginger is purely optional.
Can use White Sugar or Brown Sugar. Suit your preference.
Can make the same recipe with fruits like Apple, Pear, Peach, Apricot, Rhubarb, Berries etc.,

BLUEBERRY CRUMBLE

I am not yet out of the Crumble hangover. In recent months, I should say, I have repeated this recipe numerous times. The major reason is the availability of fruits and converting them into desserts like crumble, I make my daughter eat fruits. And this crumble recipe comes out to be a somewhat guilt free dessert with its mild sweetness and less fat. Then if you love to top warm crumbles with cold ice creams then 🤔 I can't help it. Whatsoever, there's always a place for some Desserts!!!

This Blueberry Crumble is one easy and a quick fix dessert and all the more you can never go wrong with a Crumble recipe. Warm Crumbles - Crunchy with hearty Blueberry fillings, topped with Vanilla Ice cream, are indeed a treat to the senses. You don't even need to cook the Blueberries, as you do it for Apple Crumble or Pear Crumble. Just mix them up with Brown Sugar, a dash of Lemon Juice and just layer it up, then top it up with the Crumble Mix, bake it and there you go with a wonderful Dessert with all the goodness of Berries, warm and soothing to the senses.

BLUEBERRY CRUMBLE

While making Blueberry Crumble. Remember these two main steps:

Blueberry Filling
The Crumble Mixture

Blueberry Filling:

In this crumble recipe, I have made with Blueberries and I loved them. You can add a variety of berries to make a berry crumble. Substitute blueberries for other berry varieties like Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Cranberries etc., Since they may have a different sugar content, it’s a good idea to taste the berries you plan to use before adding sugar to the filling.

BLUEBERRIES

Blueberries – Just add a lot of Blueberries. The amount of filling is as your heart desires. So use loads of Blueberries or a combination of Berries if you prefer a lot of Berries in your Crumble Recipe.
Spices – The warmness of Spices is all about a Crumble Recipe. Some recipes call for Cinnamon, some add Nutmeg/Clove/Allspice. I love the aroma of Cinnamon & Nutmeg in a Crumble Recipe.
Lemon – Lemon helps to balance the overall taste note and also helps to moisten the Sugar & Berries. What you need is just a bit, which will help keep the flavours intact.
Sugar – Sugar sweetens the Blueberry filling. I have used Brown Sugar.
No pre-cooking - And I haven't pre-cooked the Berries it as I do for Apple Crumble or Pear Crumble before baking them. Blueberry (or berries) do not need much of a cooking and turns soft while baking. So extra cooking is not necessary while making Crumble recipe with berries.