Vegan and Gluten Free
Serendipity Jane
Original Recipe: Jane Fox
Ginger Pear Crisp is a perfect mixture of fresh tasting pears, walnut crunch, and warm and bubbly deliciousness! Crystalized Ginger not only elevates the flavor, but adds a layer of warmth as comforting as an extra blanket. It’s the perfect dessert for a chilly evening!
My Inspiration
Years ago, I made a peach crisp and I was hooked; It was like eating pie, only without the calorie laden crust! I began seeking out other crisp combinations to try, and when I ran across the Pear and crystalized ginger combination in an old cookbook, I knew it was a winner. Over the years, with various tweaks, like the addition of cranberries, and quadrupling the nuts, it has became a treasured family recipe. My final revision remakes Ginger Pear Crisp into a dessert that is both vegan and gluten free.
The Ingredients
Pear Mixture
Fresh pears are amazing, but it is a serious commitment to peel, core, and slice eight cups of fresh pears! Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like I before I’m done, my shoes are sticking to the floor because some of the juice has escaped the cutting board. Canned fruit is my solution. I purchased a six pound nine ounce can of pear halves at Smart and Final and it was exactly eight cups. I just drained off the extra light syrup. It’s fast and it’s tidy and it doesn’t seem to make a big difference in the quality of the dessert.
The secret ingredient in this recipe has to be the crystalized ginger. It adds a flavor punch and a little heat for a warm spicy flavor. Crystalized ginger is actual slices of ginger root that have been sliced, and cooked in sugar until it becomes candied. My sister actually likes to eat it as candy! It can be found in the baking aisle of the grocery store and sometimes even in the bulk candy section. Ginger has great health benefits, and is said to lower cholesterol as well as help with inflammation. It is often used for nausea and upset stomachs. Just make sure that if you snack on it, you leave enough to use in the crisp!
Dried cranberries add color and a tartness that helps to offset the sweetness. You can also substitute raisins if you prefer.
I used an all purpose gluten free flour mixture to thicken the pear juice and an organic cane sugar to boost the sweetness. When baked, this duo combines with the juices from the pears and caramelizes into a thick and bubbly syrup.
Flavor
Besides the flavor in the crystalized ginger, ground ginger and cinnamon combine with lemon juice to give an extra zing that compliments the ginger flavor and the pears beautifully.
Crumb Topping
Gluten free oats, brown cane sugar, all purpose gluten free flour and earth balance, a vegan butter substitute, come together to make the base of the crumb topping that covers covers the fruit mixture. These ingredients are combined to make a crumbly looking mixture. I actually use my hands to mix and make sure the vegan butter is well distributed with the sugar and flour. Once this is done, I add the nuts. I add a lot of nuts: one full cup! When the walnuts toast in the oven, the flavor is enhanced and they get even crunchier.
The Process:
To Begin:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly coat a 9 x 13 pan with the vegan butter.
Prepare the Fruit
- Drain the canned pears
- Be sure to let them drain thoroughly.
- Cut each pear half in half so that each piece is a quarter slice.
- Combine the cane sugar, gluten free flour, crystalized ginger, ground ginger and cinnamon and gently mix with the pears to avoid breaking the pear slices.
- Turn the pear mixture into the greased pan and evenly distribute the mixture, especially paying attention to make sure that the cranberries are evenly distributed.
Prepare the Crumb Topping
- In a bowl, combine the oats, gluten free flour, brown cane sugar, ground cinnamon and ground ginger with the vegan butter.
- With your hands, mix the ingredients so that the butter mixture is completely incorporated and a course crumb mixture is achieved.
- Add in the chopped walnuts
- Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the fruit mixture.
Bake
- Place the pan in the oven and set the timer for 40 minutes. If you are using fresh pears, you may need to increase the cooking time.
- When the crisp is done, the topping will be browned and the thick carmelly juices will be bubbling up on the sides and through sections of the topping.
Serve
- Let the crisp cool for about 20 minutes.
- Cut and serve!
- Top the crisp with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of a vegan friendly whipped topping like Coco Whip.
- Enjoy!
Printable Recipe
Ginger Pear Crisp
Equipment
- oven
Ingredients
Fruit Mixture
- 8 cups sliced pears, quartered I used canned pears, a 6 pound 9 ounce can will work if you can find it. If you use fresh fruit, increase the baking time to 50 minutes.
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup cane sugar organic
- 2 Tablespoons gluten free flour I use Bob's Red Mill One to One
- 2 Tablespoons lemon Juice fresh squeezed
- 1 Teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/3 cup crystalized ginger minced into very small pieces
- 1 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
Crumb Topping
- 3/4 cup brown cane sugar organic
- 3/4 cup gluten free oats I use Bob's Red Mill
- 2/3 cup gluten free flour I use Bob's Red Mill One to One
- 1/2 Teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup vegan butter I use Earth Balance
- 1 cup walnuts chopped
Serve
- 1 scoop vanilla ice cream or a dollop of a whipped vegan dessert topping like Coco Whip optional
Instructions
- Heat Oven to 350°
- Lightly grease a 9 x 13 pan
- Combine prepared pears with cranberries, white cane sugar, 2 Tablespoons of gluten free flour, and lemon juice
- Add fruit mixture to greased pan.
Crumb Topping
- Combine all ingredients except for the nuts and mix together until crumbly. I use my hands to make sure the vegan butter is completely incorporated.
- Add the walnuts to the crumb mixture and mix to distribute evenly.
- Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the fruit mixture.
- Bake for 40 minutes until the top is a golden brown and the fruit mixture is bubbling up through the topping in places.
- Let cool about 20 minutes. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a vegan whipped topping like Coco Whip.
- Enjoy!
Sounds wonderful, Jane! I’m going to have to try this!
Thank you Jan! Let me know how you like it.