Easy Pear & Blueberry Crisp Dessert

We were the lucky recipient of some surplus ripe pears courtesy of our neighbor. Their fruit trees have had an excellent yield which really surprises me given the drought hitting our state this summer. For the past few weeks I have noticed how their fruit trees have been very productive without much rain. They even inspired me to plant a Cortland apple tree a week ago. I am just depressed I have to wait a few years to get apples!
Anyhow we were gifted six pears of which I decided to make a dessert crisp this past Saturday. The crisp recipe is pretty standard but I decided to “pair” the pears up with some blueberries. Pears do not really stand out on their own when it comes to flavor as the fruit usually picks up whatever else is added. So I decided to mix in some berries to give the crisp a little more fruit filling and some definite flavor. The recipe is super easy to follow and yields enough crisp for about five people.
The photo above is obviously a “before” shot as this dish was being prepped. I did take a final photo of the crisp, but the photo came out blurry and the pixels were out of whack. I really think I need to upgrade my camera for better food photos! Anyway, give this dessert a try and don’t forget to make it ala mode.

Tip: After peeling and cutting pears, soak them in a small dish of water with a teaspoon or two of lemon juice to keep them from browning up.

Pear and Blueberry Crisp
6 ripened pears, peeled and sliced thin
1 cup blueberries
1 stick salted butter (do not soften)
¾ cup flour
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Method
1.       Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
2.       Place fruit (pears and berries) into shallow baking dish or five individual baking dishes or ramekins.
3.       Using a pastry knife or two knifes, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, and chilled butter until mixture becomes crumbly (or resembles bread crumbs).
4.       Sprinkle crumbs evenly over fruit mixture.
5.       Bake for one hour or until topping becomes golden brown.
6.       Cool enough until warm and serve with vanilla bean ice cream!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Liver Dumpling Soup - Bohemian Style

As a kid I always despised liver. I even recall an old “Far Side” comic that displayed a “Liver N Onions” truck driving down a quaint neighborhood road and children are running in the opposite direction with terror on their faces. Not exactly the ice cream man. I do have a soft spot for two liver” bi-products”. One of them is the commercially made liverwurst or Braunschweiger. The other is the super delicious Bohemian liver dumpling soup. This soup is typical of most Czech restaurants and is usually served in a very clear consommé or beef soup. My recipe captures the flavor but does not match the clarity one would find in a Czech restaurant. The difference being that I like to add back the remaining ingredients (in tiny bite size) pieces as it seems a waste to throw them away. My recipe also cheats with using a prepared stock aside from making the stock a la natural with oxtails or soup bones. If you want to go that route, by all means do so. Otherwise, stick to this recipe to save som
Read more

London Broil With Bordelaise Sauce

One underappreciated cut of meat that tastes exceptionally well is the flank cut of beef. When it comes to flank steak, I usually think of two meals off the top of my head: Steak Fajitas and London Broil. These two meals can be made with other cuts of steak such as sirloin, but flank steak tastes extremely good when marinated and sliced the right way. The basic London broil technique involves a good soy sauce marinade setting along with scoring the meat and cooking just to the right temperature. London broil can be either “broiled” as the name suggests or grilled. The key is to cook it no further than medium or pink (between 120 and 130 degrees Fahrenheit). The flank steak will become tough like a round steak if you let the grilling or broiling time get away. Also make sure to cut the meat cross grain into strips to ensure a soft tender bite. Serve this meal with a side of garlic mashed potatoes,   grilled asparagus, and a hearty red wine and you have a meal fit for a King and Queen. B
Read more

Smažené žampióny: Czech Fried Mushrooms

Image
A great savory Czech appetizer or even main course are mushrooms. A commonly served mushroom dish is Smazene zampiony or fried mushrooms. These tasty little  nuggets pair nicely with a cold pilsner or even a glass of wine. As much as I enjoy tasting deep fried foods, I am not a big fan of the deep frying process in the kitchen given the potential mess involved. Also, if I am going to break out the deep fryer or iron skillet for frying, I will usually have several deep fried items in mind to make the effort worth the clean up. For example, if I deep fry mushrooms, I will also consider coating and frying up some zucchini, cauliflower, and even cheese. (Please check out my other post on Czech fried cheese). When deep frying appetizers or even chicken, I prefer to cook with my fry daddy kept in the garage. I will set up a portable table and fry away in my garage which keeps the odor of the oil out of the home. Fried mushrooms are a hit in my home and these go nicely with a sauce accompanim
Read more