Eat it! Easter Pear and Blackberry Crisp | Bread & Butter

Another holiday, another dessert.

As a child, I grew up in a house with a father who made six pies for any given holiday. Sure there was usually some sort of bird, paired with a variety of side dishes but the main attraction was what came after.

It was often that the friends of siblings (and myself) were invited over to partake in my family's holiday dinner and as lore would have it, one such holiday, it was a friend of my older brother who dubbed dad the "pie king of Cincinnati."

This is often what I chalk up my insatiable sweet tooth too and I suppose it's also why when asked to bring something to family get-togethers now, it has to be dessert and it has to be good.

With Easter upon me I set to work perusing my favorite recipes and thumbing through my go-to books but nothing I found seemed to peak my interest. It was then I remembered a recipe I'd seen tweeted by @ChristineCeslor a week or so ago, a Cincinnati foodie and mom. The recipe was for the most delicious looking fruit crisp I'd ever laid eyes on and if my memory served me right it came with Christine's stamp of approval so I set to work finding it.

A few minutes of internet sleuthing later I had it. Low and behold, the basis for my crisp!

Peaches are scarce at the grocery now but with pears in season and a sale (!) on blackberries I decided to substitute them for the peaches and plums.

Here is my modified version of the recipe:

Fruit:
1 pound ripe pears
2 packages of blackberries
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoons cornstarch

Crisp:
3/4 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
big pinch of salt
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup plain, whole milk yogurt

Equipment: 8x8 square baking dish or equivalent (tart pan)

Preheat the oven to 400F degrees.

Cut the pears into bite-sized, 1-inch pieces. I cut relatively chubby slices and then cut them again in quarters or thirds. Place the chopped fruit in a medium-sized bowl.

In a separate small bowl whisk together the 1/4 cup sugar and the cornstarch. Sprinkle over the fruit, toss gently (but well), and transfer the fruit to an 8-inch square baking dish (or your favorite equivalent-sized, deep-sided, solid-bottomed tart pan).

To make the topping combine the oats, flour, sugar, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Stir in the butter, and then the yogurt and mix until everything comes together in a dough-like texture. Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the plum and peach mixture.

Place the baking dish in the oven, middle rack, and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the topping is golden. Sprinkle a bit more sugar on top as it comes out of the ovens, and if you have a lemon onhand, grate a bit of zest on top (optional). Enjoy warm or at room temperature.

The result, a gorgeous rustic looking crisp, just ready to be eaten warmed with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. What could be better on sunny spring day?

The hardest part? Waiting until tomorrow to eat it!