Apple Pear Crisp combines tart apples and sweet pears for a delightful take on the traditional fall crisp.
As soon the temperatures turn fall-like, Apple Crisp automatically becomes the most popular dessert in our house. And because of that, I always have the essentials on hand to make it on a whim.
My husband happened to pick up a bag full of beautiful pears from our local fruit stand, but they started to ripen way quicker than we could eat them, so I decided to put them to good use and whipped up this Apple Pear Crisp over the weekend.
We love to serve Apple Pear Crisp with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and a drizzle of salted caramel sauce, but it’s perfectly delicious on its own, or with a little dollop of homemade whipped cream.
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WHAT ARE THE BEST APPLES FOR MAKING THIS CRISP?
Even though this crisp recipe combines apples and pears together, using the right kinds of apples is just as important as if you were making Old-Fashioned Apple Crisp or Caramel Apple Crisp.
Actually, it might be more important because you want to choose an apple that pairs well with the soft, sweet pears.
I like to use an apple that is super crisp and a little bit tart to balance the texture and sweetness of the pears. Granny smith, honeycrisp, and golden delicious apples are all a great choice here.
I would stay away from fuji or gala apples for this recipe. They are naturally a lot sweeter and not as crisp, so they could make the final crisp too sweet.
HOW TO MAKE APPLE PEAR CRISP
The filling for this Apple Pear Crisp uses just a handful of ingredients:
I like to use just a teaspoon of apple pie spice in the filling because I like to let the flavor of the fruit shine through. Too many spices covers up the flavor of the apples and pears. After all, we want an Apple Pear Crisp, not a cinnamon crisp!
Gently toss the filling ingredients together, pour it into a greased 13×9-inch baking dish, and set the filling aside while you prep the crisp topping.
This topping uses melted butter, so you don’t even have to wait for butter to soften to make this recipe. Simple stir together old-fashioned oats, flour, a bit more apple pie spice, brown sugar, a pinch of salt, pecan chips, melted butter, and vanilla extract.
As you stir the mixture, it will naturally start to form crumbs. Sprinkle these crumbs evenly over the filling and bake for 40-45 minutes.
HOW CAN YOU TELL WHEN THE CRISP IS DONE?
Not sure how to tell when your Apple Pear Crisp is done? Look for a nice golden-brown color on the crisp topping and bubbling fruit all along the sides of the pan.
This doesn’t just apply to apple crisps; it applies to all fruit crisps, such as Berry Crisp or Peach Crisp, as well!
STORAGE TIPS
A lot of people are unsure if they should store Apple Pear Crisp at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
You can typically store crisps like this one covered at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, keep the crisp covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
If you live in a hot and humid climate, or your kitchen tends to run warm and humid, I suggest storing it in the refrigerator unless you plan to eat the crisp within one day.
Apple Pear Crisp
Apple Pear Crisp combines tart apples and sweet pears for a delightful take on the traditional fall crisp.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
Prepare the fruit base: In a large mixing bowl, combine apple, pears and lemon juice; toss to coat. In a medium bowl mix granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour and apple pie spice. Sprinkle sugar mixture over apples and pears tossing to coat. Pour apple pear mixture into prepared pan, spread into an even layer.
Prepare the topping: In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, apple pie spice, salt, pecans and brown sugar. Mix butter and vanilla together and pour over oat mixture; stir to combine. Crumble mixture evenly over the apples and pears.
Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until the crumble topping is golden brown.
Serve warm. If desired, top with vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, or whipped cream.
Notes
I used Honeycrisp apples. If you are using very tart Granny Smith apples, you may want to add an additional 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar to the fruit filling.
The default measuring system on My Baking Addiction is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided as a courtesy; please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.
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Softer apples like Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, or Macintosh break down too much in the heat of the oven, basically turning into applesauce. So avoid those, and opt for a variety that's firm and crisp like Granny Smith, Fuji, Gala, or Honeycrisp. They'll turn velvety soft while still retaining their shape.
What Makes A Good Apple For Apple Crisp? The best apples for baking keep their structure under heat, which prevents the chunks of fruit from turning into mush after baking. The firm and crisp Granny Smith and Honeycrisp varieties are popular apples to use in apple pies and apple crisps.
You can prepare the crisp through step 3, then cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day before baking. You can also freeze the unbaked crisp for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then continue with step 4. Bake time will be a little longer since the crisp will be cold.
We prefer to prep the apples when we make the crisp, but you can prep them ahead of time. Peel and slice the apples and toss them with lemon juice, then pack tightly in freezer bags and refrigerate for up to one day.
Like an apple crisp, an apple crumble is a baked fruit dessert with a layer of topping. But unlike the crisp, the crumble topping rarely includes oats or nuts. Instead, a crumble's topping is more like streusel, made with flour, sugar and butter.
Gala apples are my favorite variety for this recipe – I like their sweet/tart flavor and firm texture. But if you have a favorite baking apple, feel free to use it here. Granny smith apples, Honeycrisps, Jonagolds, or a mix would all be excellent.
As mellow as sweet apples come, Gala apples are known for their sweet, vanilla aroma and soft bite. Bittersweet and soft fleshed, the Red Delicious is a classic apple with mild crispiness. The Golden Delicious sits at the bottom of the crunch list with soft skin and mellow, yellow apple flavors.
If a recipe calls for one cup of peeled and chopped apples, for example, the size of your dice and fineness of your cuts will affect how you convert from pounds. Generally speaking, one pound of roughly chopped apples yields four cups.
Bake the apple crisp until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown and crisp, about 45 minutes. Serve the crisps warm with vanilla bean ice cream or fresh whipped cream, if desired.
In our Apple Pear Crisp recipe, we recommend melting the butter down to coat the oats and walnuts as well. And, if the dessert is still too dry, Southern Living says to add a tablespoon of melted butter over the top of the crust before baking.
If your apple crisp has developed an off smell, changed its color or texture, or if you see mold growth, it has likely gone bad. Taste is also a good indicator. If the flavor is off or unexpected, it's time to toss it. Store apple crisp in an airtight container in the refrigerator to keep it fresh longer.
Asian pears, also known as apple pears or sand pears, are a healthy treat that combine the best qualities of apples and pears. These fruits are a crunchy, sweet member of the pear family, but they grow to be round like an apple.
Apple Pears (also known as “Sand Pears”, “Nashi”, “Asian Pears”) have been described as the “HOTTEST NEW ITEM SINCE THE KIWI”, and it's no wonder! The crispy, crunchy, juicy, sweet fruit is taking North America by storm.
Simple. Gently precook the apples, which drains them of liquid and shrinks their bulk. They'll shrink no more once they're added to the pie, which means there'll be no gap between the filling and the top crust. But don't toss out that liquid!
Once rinsed and dried, your apples simply need a trip to the fridge to maintain maximum crispness for as much as two months, though some may start to brown at six weeks. Leaving them on the counter will only give them a shelf life of a few days.
When apples are cooked, this pectin breaks down, and the apples turn mushy. However, there are ways to control this pectin breakdown, helping you to ensure that your apple slices are tender, but still hold their shape in the pie. The easiest first step is to pick the right apple.
Introduction: My name is Duane Harber, I am a modern, clever, handsome, fair, agreeable, inexpensive, beautiful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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