Warm Pear Crisp with Bourbon Pecan Granola

Sweet, tender pears and a crunchy granola topping make this an easy dessert for a cool fall evening. Aunt Susie’s Bourbon Pecan Granola brings pecans, dried cherries, and notes of bourbon and orange to every spoonful. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and serve it while the pears are still warm.

Serves: 6
Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 35–45 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 medium ripe-but-firm pears, cored and sliced about ¼ inch thick
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt

Granola topping

• 1½ cups Aunt Susie’s Bourbon Pecan Granola
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, plus a little for the baking dish
• Vanilla ice cream, optional, for serving

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter an 8-inch square baking dish.
2. Toss the pears with the brown sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt. Spread evenly in the dish.
3. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. This gives the pears a head start without scorching the granola.
4. Mix the granola, flour, and melted butter until crumbly. Carefully remove the foil and scatter the topping over the pears.
5. Bake uncovered for another 15–25 minutes, until the pears are tender and the juices bubble around the edges. If the topping browns too quickly, loosely cover it with foil.
6. Rest for 10 minutes, then serve warm with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

A few simple tips

Use ripe pears that still hold their shape, such as Bartlett, Bosc, or Anjou. Very soft pears can turn mushy. Break up any large granola clusters slightly so the topping spreads evenly, but keep some clusters for crunch.

The pears bake first and the granola goes on partway through, keeping the topping crisp without overbrowning the nuts and dried cherries.