Don't forget the ice cream!
This another recipe I want to share with you from The Happy Bladder Christmas Cookbook. Almonds and pears are a classic combination, and remind me of an Italian Christmas dessert called Frangipane. The marzipan in the topping is addictive and makes for one of the best crisp recipes I’ve ever tasted. This is seriously a must try recipe! It’s an elegant and delicious upgrade to the traditional apple crisp.
Almond Pear Crisp
While the almond ice cream topping is optional, I highly recommend it. Its creamy, almondy flavor just boosts the flavor into the stratosphere!
Serves: 8
6 cups slicedAnjouorBartlettbears
1/3 cup sugar
a pinch of allspice or mace
1 tablespoon cornstarch
¾ cup flour
4 oz. almond paste or marzipan, thinly sliced or broken into pieces
½ cup butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
½ teaspoon salt
1 pint vanilla ice cream (optional)
1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Combine the flour, almond paste, butter and salt in a food processor, and pulse until the mixture begins to clump together. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
In a 2 quart glass baking dish, combine the sliced pears, sugar, allspice, and cornstarch. Sprinkle the almond topping over the pears and bake for 40 minutes, or until the top of crisp looks golden brown and the pears are tender.
If you’d like to serve the crisp with almond ice cream, soften the ice cream on the counter for 10 minutes, then mix in the almond extract, working quickly. Freeze until firm, and serve scooped over the crisp.
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