Mostly Pear and Apple Cranberry Crisp

It is my strong belief that pears are the most underrated, delicious fruit. Apparently they pale in comparison to the apple. I'll admit that they are a bit unassuming, but if you take a bite out of a perfectly ripened pear, you'll discover its mellow sweetness and be won right over. So why are there so few pear recipes to be found? I honestly have no clue, but I think we should change that. A couple days ago, there were pears served for dessert at dinner and a whole container was left behind. So I gathered the pears in the hopes of making something with them. Most of my pear research was fruitless (pun intended!) until yesterday when I found a recipe for a simple Pear Crisp in Carole Walter's Great Pies and Tarts. It pretty much fit the bill until I realized that I didn't have enough pears and had to add some.... apples (sad face) to make up the difference. This crisp was easy to make- it comes together in just minutes, and disappears in about as much time. Even in these not so cold days here in Israel, a warm fruit crisp is quite comforting. The only major things I changed were omitting the fresh lemon juice because I was out and not melting the margarine for the topping, opting instead to just rub it in. One less dirty dish to wash. And there you have it- Pear and Apple Cranberry Crisp for those who were not out celebrating Thanksgiving.

Mostly Pear and Apple Cranberry Crisp

adapted from Great Pies and Tarts

Topping:

5 tbsp margarine, softened

1 cup flour

6 tbsp sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

Filling:

3-3 1/2 pounds pears, or a combination of pears and apples

3/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup sugar

2 tbsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ginger

1 tsp orange zest

Preheat the oven to 350.

To prepare the topping, place all of the dry ingredients in a small bowl and stir. Rub in the margarine until smallish pieces remain. Set aside.

Peel and core the fruit and cut them in to chunks. Place in a medium sized bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly. Pour into a deep pie dish and top evenly with the topping. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the juices are bubbling thickly. Remove from the oven and serve warm.