Best Ever Pear Crumble

You will not only be satisfying a sweet tooth with this dessert but actually helping to support the health of your gastrointestinal tract. Both pears and dates are incredibly high sources of soluble and insoluble fibre, which helps add bulk and moisture to waste, allowing smooth movement through the digestive system. Okay, perhaps that won’t be your main selling point to the guests at your next dinner party but it doesn’t make it any less yummy, warming and comforting. Perfecto for a winters night!

Serves 8

Filling:

700 gms pears – not peeled, sliced into wedges and cores removed. Approximately 6 medium pears
½ cup (4-5) medjool dates, chopped
2 Tbls raw honey
1 vanilla pod, halved and scraped (or 1 tsp. vanilla extract)
½ tsp cinnamon
1 small lemon, reserve juice and rind

Crumble:

1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1/2 cup spelt flour (or similar alternative flour)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbls coconut, rapadura or brown sugar
a pinch sea salt
3 Tbls unsalted butter, softened and diced

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. You will need a 22cm (9 inch) pie dish.

2. In a medium saucepan combine all filling ingredients and cook for 7-10 minutes or until the pears start to soften (this will vary depending on how ripe they are to begin with). They should have a little give but not be mushy as they will cook again in the oven. Remove vanilla bean. Pour the filling into the pie dish and set aside as you prepare the crumble.

3. In a medium sized bowl combine oats, walnuts, flour, cinnamon, sugar and salt and stir to combine. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture comes together into different sized balls. This doesn’t need to be perfect, anyway rustic is totes in!

4. Sprinkle the topping over the pear mixture and bake for 45 minutes. Let it rest for a 5 minutes before serving.

To serve: Serve with any of your favourites like ice cream or cream. Or try a dollop of crème fraiche or Greek yogurt, my fave!

Photography by Yasemin Erdodu