Pear Berry Crisp and Vacation!

As you're reading this, my family and I are in the air heading south to Orlando, FL.  We're on our way to go see Mickey and the gang and celebrate the Halloween season in style for the next week and half.  There's going to be lots of amusement parks, lots of walking, lots of good food, and I'm sure we'll empty a few wallets along the way (my husband has a running joke that Disney is more expensive than going to Paris).  We have a very tight schedule, with lots to see and do, and I probably won't be around for the next few days.  I do promise that I'll have lots of pictures to share.

Before I left I made a Pear and Blueberry Crisp for our From the Orchard theme at I Heart Cooking Clubs.  Pears are one of my favorite fruits and I realized that I just don't devote very much time to them in the kitchen.  After eating this crisp, I will do my best to remedy that situation. 
 

Pear and Blueberry Crisp

Adapted from Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros

Serves 8

3 large pears

1 cup blueberries

1/3 cup sugar

1-2/3 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/4 pound plus 3 tablespoons butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 375F.  Generously butter a 14 by 8-1/2 by 2-1/2 inch ovenproof dish.  Peel, core, and slice the pears, and put them in the dish.  Mix in the berries and scatter half the superfine sugar over the fruit.

Mix together the flour, brown sugar, and the other half of the superfine sugar in a bowl.  Add the butter and vanilla and rub them in with your fingertips, working until the mixture isn't smooth but looks like  damp clustery sand.  Your fingers might be tired. 

Scatter the topping over the fruit to cover it completely in a good thick layer.  Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the top is nicely golden and some berry juice has oozed up a bit over the crust and darkened it here and there.

Let it cool down a touch and then serve warm with whipped cream, a bowl of custard, or vanilla ice cream.

Theme: From the Orchard

See ya real soon!