Warm up with a sweet and simple winter dessert
This cold weather has definitely sent me searching for comfort foods.
This cold weather has definitely sent me searching for comfort foods.
About three days into the cold and snow, we ran out of our go-to after-dinner treat of ice cream. That sent me to my pantry for long-forgotten items because we weren’t venturing out into the cold just because we wanted dessert.
Fruit crisps are one of my favorite baked desserts. With the fruit and oats they almost feel healthy. I don’t dwell on the sugar and butter content!
Digging through the pantry I unearthed a can of pears. While apple crisp gets cinnamon or the combo apple pie spices, I prefer ginger with pears.
A bit of lemon juice in the filling adds a delightful tartness against the sweet sugar coating.
The entire combination provides subtle flavoring and mild sweetness.
This is a wonderful warm winter dessert and would be amazing over good vanilla ice cream.
Ginger Pear Crisp
Filling:
1 can of sliced peaches (14.5 ounce) or three fresh pears, peeled and sliced 2 tablespoons of brown sugar 2 teaspoons of lemon juice 1 tablespoon of cornstarch 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 teaspoon ginger Topping: 4 tablespoons of butter, melted 1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal 1/4 cup flour 1/2 cup of brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon of ginger *** Preheat the oven to 375. Butter an 8×8 baking pan or spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Drain the pears. If using the resulting crisp as an ice cream topping, cut the slices into smaller pieces, if desired, then place into the prepared pan. Mix together the remaining filling ingredients, stirring until smooth, then pour over the top of the pears, gently mixing for even distribution.
In a small bowl, melt the butter then add the remaining topping ingredients, mixing with a fork until well-blended.
Sprinkle evenly over the pears. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the top begins to brown slightly. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve as is, or spoon over vanilla ice cream. Makes 4-servings as ice cream topping, or two to three generous servings on its own.
Christine Haines is a retired reporter and a culinary enthusiast who collects recipes from around the world and throughout historic time periods, often adding her own twist to an old tradition. She encourages her readers to cook adventurously.
