Pear Crumble (Printable)

Tender pears with golden crumble topping. Perfect warm with vanilla ice cream. Easy British dessert in 55 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pear Filling

01 - 6 ripe pears, peeled, cored, and sliced
02 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
03 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
05 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
06 - 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

→ Crumble Topping

07 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
08 - 1/2 cup rolled oats
09 - 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
10 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
11 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
12 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 375°F.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, toss the sliced pears with lemon juice, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and flour. Spread the mixture evenly in a greased 9-inch baking dish.
03 - In a separate bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the cold, cubed butter and rub with fingertips or use a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger chunks.
04 - Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the pears, pressing down gently to create a thick, crunchy layer.
05 - Bake for 35 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the pear filling is bubbling at the edges.
06 - Cool slightly before serving. Serve warm, optionally with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It turns even slightly underripe pears into something soft, sweet, and irresistible.
  • The crumble topping bakes up thick and crunchy, with pockets of buttery texture that crackle under your spoon.
  • You can throw it together without a mixer or any fussy technique, just your hands and a bowl.
  • It makes your kitchen smell like a bakery without any of the pressure.
02 -
  • Cold butter is non-negotiable, if it's too soft, the crumble will turn dense instead of crumbly.
  • Don't skip the tablespoon of flour in the filling, without it, the pears release too much liquid and the bottom turns soupy.
  • Press the topping down gently but don't flatten it completely, you want some texture and air pockets for crunch.
03 -
  • Use your hands to rub in the butter, the warmth helps you feel when it's just right and you'll get better texture than a food processor.
  • If the topping starts browning too fast, tent the dish loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.
  • Taste a slice of raw pear before you start, if it's very sweet, cut back on the sugar slightly so the filling doesn't turn cloying.
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