Pear and Cranberry Crumble

PEAR AND CRANBERRY CRUMBLE

Today's recipe for Pear and Cranberry Crumble has got to be one of the easiest desserts a person can bake. All you need is some fresh fruit, a few ingredients from the pantry, and you have a quick treat that everyone will enjoy.

Makes one 8-by-8-inch pan

4	very ripe pears, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks
½	cup frozen cranberries, thawed and coarsely chopped
¼	cup pure maple syrup
1	teaspoon apple pie spice
	Kosher salt
½	cup all-purpose flour
½	cup old-fashioned rolled oats
½	cup sliced almonds (optional)
¼	cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
¼	cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
	Whipped cream or plain yogurt, for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. In an 8 x 8-inch baking dish, toss together the pears, cranberries, and maple syrup. Season the mixture with ¾ teaspoon apple pie spice and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Set aside.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, rolled oats, almonds, and brown sugar with the remaining ¼ teaspoon apple pie spice and a pinch of salt. Toss the dry ingredients together until they are well mixed. Then, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

3. Evenly sprinkle the crumble mixture over the reserved fruit. Place the crumble in the preheated oven and bake until the fruit is tender and juicy and the crumble is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the crumble to cool at least 10 minutes before spooning into serving bowls and garnishing with dollops of whipped cream or plain yogurt.