Brown Butter Pear Crisp

Caramelizing fruit brings out their natural sugars. You can cook just about any fruit you want using this recipe, including pears, apples, peaches, nectarines, bananas, and pineapple.

This is a delicious dessert topping, and also great sprinkled on Greek yogurt for a sweet breakfast treat. You can make it with all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, or, to make it gluten-free, brown rice or almond flour. It is a delicious dessert topping, and also great sprinkled on Greek yogurt for a sweet breakfast treat.

WHAT YOU NEED:

Pears:

2 ripe pears (any variety; or any ripe in-season fruit)

¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter

Whipping Cream (optional) 

Topping:

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or brown rice flour

1 cup rolled oats

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar substitute (I use Lakanto or Swerve)

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch cubes

Heaping ¼ cup thinly sliced almonds or coarsely chopped walnuts or pecan 

WHAT TO DO:

Pears

Cut the pears in half lengthwise. Scoop out the cores and cut off the tips to remove the stems. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat and cook until it just begins to foam but doesn’t brown. Sprinkle the sugar over the surface of the pan if you are using it. Lay the pears cut sides down in the pan and cook until the side touching the pan is caramelized, about 3 minutes. Turn the pear wedges onto the other flesh sides and cook until caramelized, about 1 minute. Remove the pears from the pan. To serve, put the pear wedges on plates or in bowls and spoon the brown butter remaining in the pan over them. Sprinkle with the crisp topping and dollop the whipped cream on the side if you’re using it.  

Topping

If you’re baking the topping on its own, make sure one oven rack is in the middle position and preheat the oven to 300°F. Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar substitutes, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the butter and use your fingertips to work the butter in with the dry ingredients to form clumps; don’t work the ingredients so long that they form a solid mass, like cookie dough, it should look crumbly, like uncooked crisp topping, which it is. Add the nuts and toss them into the mix. Spread the topping out on a baking sheet, making sure there are no stray bits scattered around the perimeter of the crisp area, as it will burn before the rest is done. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown; it will crisp up after its cooled. Remove the topping from the oven. You can use the topping warm or at room temperature. If you’re storing the topping to use later, let it cool, then store at room temperature in a covered container. 

Makes about 2 cups.

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