Apple, Pear & Cranberry Crisp
By Cat, Feb 2008 (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)
There is nothing like a fruit crisp as dessert, any time of the year; simply use whatever fruit is in season: apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, berries, or even a combination of these. I don’t like my crisp too sweet, as the sweetness takes away from the pleasant tartness of the fruit.
I love the addition of ginger and pecans to this crisp. And I provide notes for a gluten free version.
- See also: 1. Fruity Treats (Cobblers, Crisps, Shortcakes and More) Menu; 2. Fruit Crisp Tips & Ideas; 3. Spelt-Yogurt Crumble (on “Basic Apple or Other Fruit Crisp recipe)
Apple-Pear Crisp with Ginger & Pecans
This recipe is adapted from Fine Cooking.com
I have MacIntosh apple and Bartlett pear trees in my yard, which are great in this dessert. You can also use Braeburn or Cortland apples, and Anjou pears.
While this version does not use a presoaked crumble, you can use Spelt-Yogurt Crumble (on Basic Apple Crisp recipe page), using crispy pecans, and ground ginger instead of cinnamon & nutmeg.
Applejack is a “sweet alcoholic beverage made from apples. The drink was originally derived from apple brandy — possibly the French version, called calvados. In modern times, though, the beverage is essentially distilled or concentrated hard cider.” (2)
Makes one deep dish 10″ crisp.
Ingredients & Equipment:
- Topping
- ¾ cup chopped crispy pecans (pre-soaked & toasted)
- ½ cup Rapadura or brown sugar (or ¼ tsp stevia extract powder plus 2 Tbsp Rapadura)
- ½ cup whole spelt or wheat flour (or for gluten-free, use almond meal flour)
- pinch unrefined sea salt
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 4 Tbsp butter, cut into pieces
- Fruit mix
- 1 lb firm, semi-tart apples
- 1 lb ripe pears (Bosc or Anjou are best for baking, but Bartletts can be used in a pinch)
- juice of 2 lemons, divided
- 3 Tbsp butter
- ⅓ cup Rapadura sugar (or ¼ tsp stevia extract powder plus 1 Tbsp honey)
- 1½ tsp finely chopped fresh ginger
- pinch unrefined sea salt
- ½ cup applejack or cider
- Equipment
- small bowl
- deep dish 10″ pie pan; or round, square or rectangular cake pan
Method:
- Pre-soak nuts overnight: Chop then presoak the pecans in acidic water overnight; drain and toast in 300°F oven.
- Next day: Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter pie or cake pan.
- Fruit: Wash and core fruit. Slice apples into ½” thick slices, and pears into ¾” thick slices, into a bowl of water with juice of 1 lemon to keep them from turning brown.
- Toss ginger with salt and sugar (or stevia, if using).
- Melt butter in skillet; add ginger mixture and honey. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until warmed (if using sugar, warm until it has melted), about 1 minute. Add juice of remaining lemon with applejack; cook until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer.
- Add apple slices and cook until just barely tender, then add pear slices and stir just to warm. Remove from heat and spread into a layer in buttered pan.
- Topping: Combine sweetener, flour, salt and ginger. Cut in butter, toss with crispy pecans, then crumble over fruit mixture.
- Bake in preheated oven about 25 – 30 minutes, or until fruit is done. Remove from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.
Testing:
9/29/21: Just finished picking all my Bartlett pears, and my Macintosh apples are ready to pick, so I decided to give this recipe a try. I will not pre-soak the pecans, due to lack of time. For the flour in the topping, I will use half spelt and half almond meal; for the sweetener in the fruit filling, I will use stevia extract powder. Can’t find applejack, so will use apple cider. Otherwise as written.
References:
- Fine Cooking’s Apple-Pear Cobbler/Crisp with Brown Sugar-Pecan Topping recipe: finecooking.com/recipes/apple-pear-cobbler-crisp-brown-sugar-pecan-topping.aspx
- Applejack: wise-geek.com/what-is-applejack.htm
