Pear Crisp and Vanilla Ice Cream

Fruit crisps and crumbles are one of my favorite desserts to make. They are super easy and let you take advantage of whatever fruit is in season. Pears have always been a favorite in my family because when they are perfectly ripe, their sweet taste is just so delicious.

I made this easy Pear Crisp the other night for dessert and teamed it with vanilla ice cream. My family couldn't get enough of it. I thought there would be enough left over for my breakfast the next morning, but no such luck. That's ok though because there's not a bigger compliment to my baking and cooking than when my family eats every bite.

This recipe is inspired by an old one from The Pioneer Woman's blog. She's fabulous of course, and has been the inspiration for many a wonderful dish on my table.

I really love all types of pears, but I've found that Bosc pears hold up the best while cooking and don't get mushy the way some types can. Store any leftovers in the fridge and I think this tastes best right out of the oven or the next day. And topping it with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream makes it all the yummier in my book!!

Recipe for Pear Crisp with Vanilla Ice Cream

Ingredients:

For filling:

4-5 large Bosc pears
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

For topping:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
1 stick butter melted

Good quality vanilla ice cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Peel, core, and dice pears. Put into a bowl and add 2/3 cup sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir together, then set aside.
In another bowl, combine flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and chopped pecans. While stirring ingredients, drizzle in melted butter and stir together until combined. Place pears in baking dish, spread crumb topping over pears evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Makes 4-5 servings.

Enjoy!!

Pear Upside-Down Cake Recipe

Yesterday when I was in the grocery store, I couldn't help noticing all the gorgeous looking fruit available. Everything just looked so ripe and luscious, especially the pears.

Since I love desserts made with fruit, like my Apple Cake, and my Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, I decided to make this Pear Upside-Down Cake with the pears I had bought.

It turned out delicious, and my family had a great dessert on a busy weeknight, which they really appreciated. I didn't have a lot of time to make these kinds of cakes when my five kids were growing up. So much of motherhood is just getting through the day with everyone clean and fed.

So it's nice to be able to spend the time making a cake like this now. It's not really that food is love, or maybe it is, but taking the time to make something for the people you love.

 

Of course everything tastes better with a scoop of ice cream on it, right? This cake is well worth the effort, and holds together really well, perfect for taking it to a friend's house to share it, or even on a picnic.

Just make sure your pears are nice and ripe, and try to use Bosc or Anjou variety. And when you flip it over onto the cake plate when it's done, I let it rest for a couple of minutes like that so the cake comes out in one piece.

Recipe for Pear Upside-Down Cake

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 firm but ripe pears (like Bosc or Anjou) peeled, cored, and sliced
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 9-or-10 inch round, metal cake pan, over medium heat, melt 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter with the brown sugar. Stir until butter melts and mixture is slightly caramelized, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Arrange pears slices, slightly overlapping, in a neat circular pattern on top of the caramel.

In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat remaining 1/2 cup butter with flour, baking powder, salt, granulated sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla for 1 minute on low speed. Increase speed to high and beat 3 minutes longer. Pour batter over pears in the pan.

Bake 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center. Run a thin spatula around the edges of the cake and then invert onto a heat-proof cake plate. Let rest for 2 minutes and then remove pan.

Serve cake warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if desired.
Serves 6-8.

Pear Coffee-Cake Muffins Recipe From Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook

Sometimes I think it's the little things that make up a happy life. It's true that big life events can be wonderful, but they just don't happen often enough for me. So, I'm finding ways to increase my everyday happiness, and that includes these pear muffins.

A cup of coffee and a warm, delicious muffin with butter inside makes my morning start out happy. It's an easy way to start the day, and these muffins let you use your favorite fruit in them, whether that's pears, apples, plums, or berries.

This recipe is from one of my favorite baking books, Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook. The recipe calls for plums, which I love, but when I saw these gorgeous red pears at the market, I decided to use them instead of the plums.

Peel and chop the pears. I love the fragrance and taste of pears, and it's one of my favorite fruits to use in my fall and winter baking.

After you have mixed the batter, fill the muffin tin half full, and distribute the pear pieces evenly over the batter. Top with remaining batter, and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.

These smell wonderful as they are baking in the oven. And they keep well for a couple of days in the refrigerator. I just popped them, with a little butter, into the microwave and heated them up, and they were still delicious.

I gave some of these muffins to our neighbors, and they just loved them. That's also one of the things I enjoy about baking, is being able to share something I made with others, and making that lovely connection with them.

These muffins are very much worth the effort of making them, and perfect for a morning of baking on a chilly fall morning.

Recipe For Pear Coffee-Cake Muffins

Ingredients:

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
3/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of ground nutmeg
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk
3 ripe pears, peeled and cut into small chunks (other fruits may be used, plums, apples, or berries)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter a 12-cup muffin tin, or use paper liners, set aside.
Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl, set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and remaining 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, set aside.

In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and milk. Whisk in the melted butter. Using a rubber spatula, fold the egg mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. Dividing evenly, fill each of the muffin cups halfway with batter. Smooth the batter with an offset spatula.

Distribute the pear pieces evenly among the cups, scattering them over the batter. Spoon the remaining batter on top, dividing evenly. Sprinkle tops with the reserved cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until the muffins are puffed and golden brown, and a cake tester inserted of one muffin comes out clean, 16-18 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let stand 5-10 minutes. Turn out the muffins onto the rack to cool a few minutes, serve warm.

*Note: the recipe says it only makes 10 muffins, but I easily made 12.

Healthy Snacking With Del Monte's Delicious New Fruit Cup Flavors #SmartSnack #CBias

By Patricia

My family has always been big snack lovers. When I was raising my five children, snacks played a very important role in their daily diets. I was always on the hunt for healthy snacks, but they were always something that I had to put together myself, and that was always very time consuming. Times have certainly changed and I love how easy and convenient snacks have become.

I now have small grandchildren that I am lucky enough to spend a lot of time with. As with all children, snacks and treats are a fun and important part of our time together. I love being the Nana that provides treats, but I also want them to eat healthy foods. I felt like I was giving them too many treats, so I decided that I would find snacks that are both healthy and that they would still enjoy.

My family has loved Del Monte fruit for many years, and more recently, the Del Monte fruit cups. I went to Walmart the other day to pick some up, and was happy to discover two new flavors.

I knew Diced Apples & Pears with Caramel flavor would appeal to my grandsons. I like that these fruit cups are one whole serving of fruit per cup, are loaded with Vitamin C, and contain no High Fructose Corn Syrup.

Diced Pears with Vanilla & Spice are the other new flavor of fruit cups I found. These new flavors remind me of fall, so it's the perfect time for them to be coming out.

Del Monte fruit cups are so easy and convenient to eat. They really make a great at home or on the go snack. They are also only 60 calories per serving, and gluten free. #SnackSmart

My five year old grandson has become a snack "expert". After a couple of years in preschool and now being in kindergarten, he knows what snacks he likes and what he doesn't.

He has eaten Del Monte fruit cups before and he has a favorite kind that I try to keep on hand. When I told him this new flavor had caramel in it, he was very happy, so this is the flavor he chose to try.

 

My two year old grandson wanted to try out the Diced Pears with Vanilla & Spice. He's too little to tell me exactly how he feels about them, but he does know what he likes.

After eating one fruit cup he took it upon himself to try and open another one to eat. I'd say he definitely likes these new flavors of Del Monte fruit cups.

I'll be picking up more of these new Diced Pears with Vanilla & Spice, and the Diced Apples & Pears with Caramel flavors.

I tried both kinds myself and I really like them too. I could taste a nice hint of the caramel, and the vanilla and spice were not overpowering, but just right. I do advise shaking them up a little so that all the flavoring is not on the bottom of the cup. Pears are actually one of my favorite fruits and it was nice to enjoy them with these new flavors. I'm very happy to be giving my grandsons snacks that are delicious and healthy for them.

Although I did buy the new Del Monte fruit cups for my grandsons, I like them too, so I tucked a couple in my purse to eat when I am busy and on the go. I love how they are only 60 calories each and just sweet enough so that I will be satisfied eating one instead of grabbing a snack that is loaded with sugar and calories.

If you'd like to know more about these Del Monte fruit cups and other Del Monte products, go to their website. You can also visit them on Facebook and Twitter. If you'd like to see my shopping experience at Walmart, check out my Google+ photo album.

If you would like to try the delicious New Flavors of Del Monte with your family there is a coupon for $0.50 off the product when you buy it at Walmart. Click here to redeem your free coupon.

* I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Del Monte #CBias #SocialFabric All opinions expressed in this post are my own.