Pear + Strawberry Crisp

When my friend, Kenneth, and I discussed which dessert I would make one Sunday evening for dinner, the idea of a pear crisp came to my mind, as its one of the only fruits that is almost in season. Apparently, Kenneth is a pear kinda guy, so he made the executive decision that this was the dessert of choice. Unfortunately, pears are very infrequently ripe the date of purchase, a fact which Kenneth didn't really seem to understand as he headed to the store to pick up all of our ingredients for dinner. So when he arrived at our house with apple-like pears, we had to make due. Luckily, his wife, Jessica advised that we saute the pears and add a little sugar prior to baking them, which worked out wonderfully since strawberries cook so much faster than pears.

Pear + Strawberry Crisp

Kelley Gondring + Jessica Wehrmann

Preheat oven 350º

In a medium saucepan, combine:
2 Anjou pears + 2 Bosc pears, peeled and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons butter
Cover and saute over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.


In a food processor, combine:
3/4 cup oatmeal
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cardamon
dash of salt
8 tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes
Pulse 30-40 seconds or until a coarse meal is formed.


In a medium casserole dish, spread over bottom:
1 1/2 cups halved strawberries
Evenly spread over the top of the strawberries the cooked pears. Sprinkle the oatmeal/butter mixture over the pears. Cover with lid.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake an additional 15 minutes. If the crisp isn't golden brown, turn heat to broil and let cook 60 seconds, keeping a close eye on it. Remove from oven. Crisps are best served warm, either on their own or with whipping cream or vanilla ice cream.

Eat up!