Easy Pear And Blackberry Crumble Recipe

Recipe developer and food photographer Catherine Brookes of Blue Sky Eating didn't exactly mean to develop a healthier version of a classic fruit crumble. But when she came up with this recipe for one using blackberries and pears, that's what she certainly did. We couldn't help but notice that, whereas a lot of fruit crumble recipes call for a pretty substantial amount of sugar, Brookes' recipe gets the job accomplished beautifully with around half the usual amount. Same thing with regards to butter. 

Nevertheless, Brookes, who enjoys making everything from simple, nourishing dinners to indulgent desserts, points out that her recipe still boasts plenty of the good stuff (that is, butter and sugar) plus "lots of goodness" from the naturally sweet and delicious fruit. 

"I personally love the combo of blackberry and pear," Brookes says, noting that their respective textures and flavors are particularly complimentary. "Blackberries tend to go very soft when cooked and taste a little more sharp, and the pears are sweeter and hold their shape more." What's more, the color is just gorgeous and perfect for a cozy winter treat that will brighten up the dinner table. "This is the perfect recipe for fall/winter," Brookes agrees. "Such a cozy and comforting dessert with that gooey fruit and buttery topping!"

Ready to bake up some wintry pear and blackberry crumble? In that case, you're naturally going to need plenty of pears and blackberries. Specifically, you'll need two 14.1-ounce cans of pear halves (drained of any syrup or juice) and 2 cups of fresh or frozen blackberries.

You'll also need to procure 2 tablespoons of sugar to sprinkle over the fruit, which will complement the sharp acidity of the blackberries. Then, for the crumble topping, you'll also need ½ cup sugar, 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon butter (which will be cold and cut into small chunks, so be sure to keep it in the fridge), 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, and 1 cup of rolled oats. For the all-purpose flour, feel free to sub in a gluten-free version if necessary.

Begin by preheating your oven to 350 F, that classic baking temperature which helps to encourage browning and flavor development via the Maillard reaction and caramelization. Preheating now will also ensure that your oven is ready to bake up the crumble by the time the ingredients have been assembled, so no one's waiting around while the oven takes its time.

That accomplished, combine the flour and butter in a large mixing bowl, using your hands to rub them together until the mixture resembles the texture of breadcrumbs. Then add ½ cup of sugar along with the oats, and stir to combine. This will be the crumble topping for the final baked dish. Set the bowl aside and turn to the next step.

Here's where we begin to really assemble this pear and blackberry crumble. Grab yourself a medium to large-sized baking dish. For reference purposes, the one Brookes uses for this recipe is oval-shaped and approximately 7x11 inches. 

Arrange the pears and the blackberries inside the dish. You don't need to be fancy here, but try to get a relatively even distribution of the different types of fruit throughout. Over the pears and blackberries, you will want to sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, although if you don't mind disturbing the fruit, you can certainly mix the sugar in as well. Either way, the sugar is going to bake right into the fruit and produce a delicious, syrupy filling.

Go back to the crumble mixture that you made and set aside just a few minutes ago. Spoon the mixture onto the top of the fruit in an even layer. 

Once your oven has heated to 350 F, pop the dish in the oven, and set a timer for 40 minutes. At the end of 40 minutes, the crumble topping should have turned a lovely golden brown and should also smell pretty wonderful. That means it's time to take the dish out of the oven. If the crumble topping hasn't yet become golden, another 5 minutes should do the trick. As always, keep an eye on the crumble at this point to make sure that nothing is burning. 

As for serving, you can always enjoy this pear and blackberry crumble on its own immediately. You may also want to serve it with a scoop of high-quality vanilla ice cream or even a homemade whipped topping.