Cardamom Apple Pear Crisp

As much as I love cake and frosting, I absolutely love apple crisp in the fall.

Something about that tartly sweet fruit filling, those warm fall spices, a crispy crunchy topping and a perfect scoop of vanilla ice cream.

I really can’t think of a better way to snuggle up on the couch ;).

Sure, pie is good with it’s buttery crust and all, but this apple pear crisp has a buttery gingersnap and oat topping that makes it my first choice amongst fall baking recipes (plus it’s a lot easier than whipping up a homemade crust!).

Apples and pears are a match made in baking heaven (especially in this crisp recipe). The apples stay a little more firm while the pears are soft like butter, only adding to the amazing texture in this fall dessert.

Although I can’t say pear picking is popular near me, apple picking sure is top of the list of fall things to do in RI.

Especially where we live, there’s a farm every couple of miles with apple and pumpkin picking all season long. Even if you don’t take part in the apple picking part, you can still find bags of farm fresh apples from the local farms at the markets.

I currently have about 4 lbs. of apples sitting in my refrigerator that will certainly not go to waste.

Between savory fall dinners like my apple cider pork tenderloin or apple gouda stuffed chicken, to apple desserts like this apple pear crisp or my brown butter apple crumb crostata, we definitely take apple season seriously in this household ;).

• pears
• apples
• brown sugar
• flour
• vanilla
• cinnamon
• cardamom
• nutmeg
• salt
• lemon zest

• gingersnap cookie crumbs
• old-fashioned rolled oats
• flour
• brown sugar
• cinnamon
• butter
• pecans or other nuts (optional)

The gingersnap cookies are my secret weapon in this crisp recipe. Not only does that ginger spice work well with the fruit, but the cookies are so hard & crunchy that they make that topping extra crispy.

I use oats because I love the little bit of nutty texture they add but you can certainly omit them and use a full amount of gingersnap cookie.

This apple pear crisp recipe was adapted from Sally’s Baking addiction. You can get the original recipe here.

You want to use apples that are more firm and won’t turn mushy when baked:

Gala, Honeycrisp, Courtland, Granny Smith and Braeburn are my favorite baking apples because they’re firm with a little tartness.

You want to avoid soft apples like McIntosh, Red Delicious or Golden Delicious.

The most popular pears you can usually find in the market that also bake well are Bartlett, Anjou or Bosc.

This is one of those “totally up to you” things.

I prefer peeling my apples and pears because sometimes the skin messes with the texture of the crisp, but again if you’re pressed for time and don’t mind the skin, then you can leave it on!

1. Mix all of the filling ingredients in a large bowl, then spread evenly into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
2. Make the topping: add gingersnap cookies to a food processor and process until fine crumbs. Set aside. Whisk together flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or fork until mixture is evenly incorporated and you have pea-sized crumbs. Stir in the oats and gingersnap crumbs.
3. Evenly spread topping on to apples and pears. Bake for 40-50 minutes until top is golden brown and juices are bubbling. Allow to cool at least 5 minutes before serving.

I cover by apple crisp tightly with plastic wrap (or in an airtight container, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

To reheat it so it’s crispy again, I microwave for about 40 seconds to heat through and then bake it in the oven to get the top crispy.

• Apple Cider Oatmeal Cookies
• Apple Crumb Crostata
• Cream Cheese-Stuffed Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Pumpkin Pie with Toasted Maple Meringue