PEAR CRUMBLE

   A crumble recipe is from my very old recipe book, which I had since my childhood.  But it took years for me to even try the recipe.  Once, I gave my hand to it, I never had to look back.  When it comes to a quick dessert or when there are loads of Apples, Pears or any other fruits as a matter. This quick-fix recipe comes out to be handy.  Pies are one best versions when it comes to desserts of this genre, but the time it requires and some little meticulous techniques all make a Pie stand 2nd in the row in my kitchen.  I sought for this quick Crumble Recipe. Warm Crumbles - Crunchy with hearty Pear fillings, topped with Vanilla Ice cream are indeed a treat to the senses.  

    I  don't bake a lot & it is not my arena.  But when it comes to certain baked dishes, like Christmas Fruit Cakes, Eggless Cakes, Apple Pie, a few Cookies and this crumble recipe are the ones I have perfected and repeated. The Crumble recipes are so easy to make, and it's hard to get it wrong. There is something really cosy and comforting about a warm crumble topped with Vanilla Ice cream or cold Custards. This Crumble recipe is our latest favourite at home, and I am frequenting it very often these days with various fruits like Apple, Pear, Berries and yet to try my favourite one - The Peach Crumble.

PEAR CRUMBLE WITH VANILLA ICE CREAM

    When you have loads of fresh fruits and berries, it is best to enjoy it in a delicious dessert.  So English are these Desserts which comes in the name of Pie, Cobbler, Crumble, Tart etc., And I have always wondered what is the difference between these desserts.  

PIE & TART:

    PIE is a dessert which has a bottom crust with a filling, couple of inches tall.  And some pies are topped with a second crust, latticed or decorated, or just a sheet of crust with small incisions over it. It is baked in a Pie Plate.  Yes, I forgot to say, Pie can be Sweet or Savoury(whenever it is Pie I remember the Rabbit Pie from one of Enid Blyton's Famous Five Series). Then TART - I thought that Pie and tart were the same.  Though similar to the nature, the difference is that Tarts have thicker crusts with a filling.  They are baked in a Tart Pan which are shallow with ridges or fluted edges.  Some Tart pans have removable bottom portions which could be removed when baked, which helps in removing the tart once baked.  Then the major difference is that a Tart never have a second or the top crust.

CRUMBLE & COBBLER:

      Crumbles & Cobbler - Both doesn't have a bottom crust.  The fruit filling is placed in a deep dish(pie pan/baking dish) then it can be topped with a crumbly crust.  For Crumbles, we can use Flours, Oats, slivered nuts mixed along with Sugar/Brown Sugar & Butter, which becomes crumbly, streusel like mixture and becomes crunchy when baked.  But in a Cobbler, the fruit filling is topped with dollops of biscuit dough or batter.

PEAR CRUMBLE:

    So, now with a bit of knowledge about these similar desserts, let's come back to our Pear Crumble.  The two main steps which has to be done while making a Crumble are:

• Spiced Pear Filling

• The Crumble Mixture

  
  

 

Pear Filling:  

 

    After all, this is Pear Crumble, so we need loads of Pears. I had a few Pears lying in my refrigerator, Crunchiness and flavour all got together. Ha, Ha!!! I wanted to finish off the never ever otherwise touched Pears lying in my refrigerator.  So here goes some Pear recipes just with the idea of finishing the Pears.

 

THE PEAR FILLING

Anyway, let's see what makes a great Pear Filling, 

 

• Pears – Make sure to slice the Pears into uniform sizes. The amount of filling is as your heart desires. So use loads of Pears if you prefer a whole lot of Pears in your Pear Crumble.
• Spices – The warmness of Spices is all about Pear Crumble. Some recipes call for Cinnamon, some add Nutmeg/Clove/Allspice. I love the aroma of Cinnamon & Nutmeg in a Crumble Recipe. And don't forget to add a bit of Ginger in a Pear Crumble.  It gives a wonderful flavour along with the spices.
  
• Lemon – Lemon prevents the Pears from oxidizing(browning). What you need is just a bit which will help keep the flavours intact and also keeps the pear slices white.
• Sugar – Sugar sweetens the Pear filling. I have used Brown Sugar. And have cooked it along with the Pears & Spices, until the pears are half cooked and all the sugar turns out into a caramel-like sauce along with the juices from the Pears.

 

 

The Crumble:

 

CRUMBLE MIXTURE

       Making Crumble is so easy & you may hardly go wrong.  It is too straight forward. I love to add some slivered and toasted Almonds along with flour for that nutty and crunchy Crumble topping.

Some recipes call for Oats flour or Oats instead of All-purpose flour.

      As I live in  Tropical regions, the weather is mostly humid.  So I always use COLD BUTTER. Cut butter into small cubes and keep it refrigerated until use.  I don't have a food processor, so I use my hands to make this crumble.  So, I suggest keeping your hands cold. While mixing the flour, sugar & butter, the heat may melt way the butter making the topping a bit of a dough like.   

       So using your fingertips rub the butter into the flour and sugar. You want the texture to be like streusel mixture or breadcrumbs. Then stir in those toasted almonds for extra crunchiness & texture.            And when it comes to Sugar, I would recommend for Brown sugar or light Brown sugar, which gives the needed texture in a Crumble. 

 

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Cuisine - Around the World

Recipe Type - Crumble

Difficulty - Medium

Serves - 6-8

Author - SM

Preparation Time - 30 - 45 Minutes

Cooking Time (Apple Filling) - 7-10 Minutes

Baking Time - 30-45 Minutes

 

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HOW TO MAKE PEAR CRUMBLE

PEAR CRUMBLE

INGREDIENTS:

For Pear Filling:

Pears - 6 Nos.
Brown Sugar - 120 Grams
Lemon Juice - 1 Tablespoon
Cinnamon & Nutmeg Powder - 1/4 Teaspoon
Ginger - 1/2 Teaspoon