Cardamom-Scented Pear Crisp

Cardamom-Scented Pear Crisp is a fantastic fall dessert! Cardamom is a warm spice that is really wonderful with the pears. The topping has a modest amount of butter and sugar, making it a lighter crisp than others.

The recipe is adapted from a Mark Bittman recipe in The Food Matters Cookbook. He points out that imperfect, not-quite-ripe pears work beautifully in the recipe. I used Bosc pears which are a great variety for baking.

In The Food Matters Cookbook, Bittman presents desserts that feature fruits, whole grains, and a bit less sugar. He calls for whole wheat flour in the Cardamom-Scented Pear Crisp recipe. I used unbleached white flour. Since each serving only has about 1 tablespoon of flour, I think you can use whichever type of flour you prefer. It’s not going to make that much difference in the nutritional makeup of the recipe.

Following the recipe’s instructions, I baked the crisp at 400˚ and checked it at 30 minutes. (It said to bake for 30 – 40 minutes.) At 30 minutes the topping was almost starting to burn. I actually had to pick off a few pieces that were a bit too dark. Next time I think I will try lowering the heat to 375˚.

The Cardamom-Scented Pear Crisp served 8 people last night and got rave reviews. Topped with just a bit of vanilla ice cream, it was a great dessert!

Now I wish I had some leftover for breakfast! Get some pears. Make Cardamom-Scented Pear Crisp!  It’s a great way to welcome fall!

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Update 10/13/11:  I made the Pear Crisp again yesterday. I baked it at 375˚ for 30 minutes, and it was perfect!

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This photo made the Foodbuzz Top 9 on October 9!  🙂

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(Adapted from Mark Bittman’s recipe in The Food Matters Cookbook.)

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(print the recipe)

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Serves 8

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4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened, plus a bit more for greasing the pan

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used light olive oil.)

¾ cup brown sugar (I used maple sugar.)

½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (I used walnuts.)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup rolled oats

½ cup (60 g) flour (white or whole wheat, your choice)

Pinch of salt

3 pounds pears (I used 6 Bosc pears.)

1 teaspoon cardamom

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1. Preheat the oven to 375˚.

2. Grease a 10-inch pie plate or an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan with a bit of softened butter.

3. With a fork, cream the ½ stick of butter, oil, and sugar in a bowl.

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4. Add the nuts, lemon juice, oats, flour, and salt and mix until well-combined.

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5. Peel the pears. Cut them in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to remove the core. Cut the pears into ¼-inch slices and put them in the prepared pan.

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6. Sprinkle the cardamom over the pears and toss well.

7. Crumble the topping over the pears.

Ready for the oven

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8. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the pears are hot, and the topping is just starting to brown.

9. Serve warm, topped with a bit of vanilla ice cream, if desired.

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