apple-pear crisp

by Stacy

If my husband and I are out to dinner and decide to order dessert, he always wants the fruit crisp. While I vacillate amongst fruity/chocolate-y/gooey, he just wants the apple-based option. Come fall, if I buy apples, invariably I hear, “Are you making apple crisp?” Conveniently, I love making fruit crisps. They’re relatively fast and easy, and other than the fruit, I almost always have all the ingredients on hand. More fruit crisps have graced our table than this blog for two reasons: one, they’re not terribly photogenic, and two, they don’t always last long enough to take pictures.

The only ingredient I was missing was apples, so when I returned from the Midwest with four glossy Honeycrisps in tow, guess what he asked me? Of course. (I realize that Honeycrisp apples are utterly delicious eaten raw and there are better apples for baking, but I like them either way.)

The only issue we have is that I don’t measure very exactly when I make apple crisp, and it drives my husband batty. When I make bread, I use my scale; when I make apple crisp, I add spices until the color is right. The arrangement we have is that he doesn’t look until the whole thing is ready to go in the oven. It’s a better situation for everyone.

apple and pear crisp

While I use the same basic idea, I don’t make the topping exactly the same each time. Sometimes I add oatmeal, sometimes not. Sometimes I use white sugar, sometimes brown, sometimes both. It depends on my mood.

The big difference this time was the fruit mixture. At the market across the street, four tiny Honeycrisp apples cost $4.98. I bought mine in Minnesota for $1.49 per pound. I really could have used one more apple, so I sliced up a pear and threw that in the mix. It was mellow and sweet, though a bit juicier than the apples. Next time, I would add a bit of flour to the filling to prevent it from getting so soupy.

apple and pear crisp

Soupy or no, my husband could barely wait until it cooled to eat some. He approved.

Apple-Pear Crisp

I used 4 large apples and 1 medium pear. The number will depend on the size of the fruit.

Ingredients:
4-6 apples/pears, enough to yield ~4 cups, sliced
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon brown sugar, divided
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour, divided
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 heaping teaspoons apple pie spices
OR
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 heaping tsp cinnamon
Optional: 1/2 cup rolled oats

1.) Peel, core, and slice fruit. Toss with 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 tablespoon of flour, then pour into a baking dish (8×8, deep dish pie plate, or large casserole).

2.) Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the rest of the flour and sugar with the salt and spices. Cut the stick of butter into small pieces and add to dry ingredients. Cut in using a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture is crumbly. If desired, add oatmeal and stir until combined.

3.) Bake at 350F for 30-45 minutes until a fork can easily pierce the filling in the center of the pan and topping is lightly browned. Allow to cool before serving. Serve warm or room temperature, plain or with ice cream or whipped cream.

apple and pear crisp

Leave a Comment

CommentLuv badge

Previous post:

Next post: