Blackberry-Pear Crisp (with Ginger)
Savor the flavors of fall with this delicious blackberry pear crisp. A delightful blend of sweet pears, fresh blackberries, and a crispy buttery topping.
Ingredients
Oat Topping:
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup butter, cold, cut into cubes
Blackberry Pear Layer:
- 5 medium Bosc pears, peeled and cut into chunks
- 12 ounces blackberries, washed and dried
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated/minced
- 2 tablespoons tapioca starch, or corn starch/flour
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F / 180°C.
- In a mixing bowl add ¾ cup all-purpose flour, ¾ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1 cup of oats and mix. Cut the cold ½ cup of cubed butter into the mixture with a pastry blender or fork until you have small pieces of butter fully mixed throughout. Set it aside.
- In another mixing bowl, add the washed and dried 12-ounces of blackberries, 5 peeled and chopped pears, 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon grated ginger, and 2 tablespoons tapioca starch. Stir gently to combine.
- Spread the fruit mixture evenly into a 13x9 baking dish. Now cover it with the oat topping, trying to get full and even coverage across the dish.
- Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 40-45 minutes until the fruit is bubbling around the edges and the topping is golden brown.
- Remove the blackberry pear crisp from the oven and let it cool for at least 15 minutes or so before serving. It will continue to thicken as it cools. Serve warm or at room temperature, topped with ice cream for the best experience.
Equipment Used
Notes
1) Best Pears – For baking applications, I prefer Bosc pears the most. Anjou pears are also a good option as both types hold their shape well under heat. Bartletts have a great flavor and can also be used, but don’t hold up as well under heat. Look at the post above for more information on cooking with pears.
2) Peeling Pears – Like with apples in baking, this is a personal preference. Some pear varieties have very thin skins, and not peeling can give a dish a rustic looking quality. The skin also has a lot of nutrients. Completely up to you if you wish to peel the pears or not.
3) Frozen Blackberries – While fresh is good here, you can use frozen berries as well. Add them to the mix straight from the freezer and don’t thaw. I have not made this with frozen berries before, but it will probably be a bit waterier, so you may want to add an extra tablespoon of starch or flour as well.
4) Gluten Free Pear Crisp – Swap out the flour in the crisp topping with your favorite gluten free flour blend. Oats are naturally gluten free but check for brands that sell oats labelled as gluten free. Cross contamination in packaging can sometimes lead to a bit of flour being mixed in.
5) Serving Size - Depending on the size of portions you want; you could get between 6-16 portions out of this recipe. 8 servings should be roughly 1 cup of crisp, while ½ cup servings should get you around 16 portions.
6) Smaller Batch – If you want to make a blackberry pear crisp, but don’t want an entire 13x9 pan worth, you can cut the recipe in half. Bake in an 8x8 or 9x9 pan (or a 9” round pan) instead and reduce the baking time to 30-35 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 cupCalories: 377kcalCarbohydrates: 66gProtein: 4gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 101mgPotassium: 294mgFiber: 7gSugar: 40gCalcium: 58mgIron: 2mg
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