Yesterday evening, Aria and I had a wonderful play date with Ella at my friend Thi-My’s. For dessert, Thi-My prepared an apple pear chocolate crumble. The recipe I’m sharing today is a bit different, using home-grown pears, blackberry and chocolate.
Thi-My and I have been friends since we were 15. We reminisced about the good old days and stared at our little girls playing with their scooters in the park next door to her apartment. Ella is two-and-a-half years old and she’s such a sweetheart. She kept saying "l’autre trottinette est pour ma copine Aria" ("The other scooter is for my bestie Aria"). We melted! And we melted a second time after eating Thi-my’s delicious crumble!
1. Info for Chocolate Pear Blackberry Crumble Recipe
- Cook Time: unavailable
- Total Time: unavailable
- Servings: 8
- Calories: unavailable
2. Ingredients for Chocolate Pear Blackberry Crumble Recipe
- 2 pears, the quantity varies with the size of the fruit
- 1 pint blackberries
- 5 ounces dark bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), cold, diced
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, + 1 tablespoon
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar (optional)
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups oatmeal
3. Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Wash the pears, peel (I used a Messermeister vegetable peeler, which peels very thinly) and cut them into small cubes.
- In a non-stick pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the pears and cook for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with brown sugar (if used) and cinnamon. Toss well. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon flour. Once the juice slightly thickens, turn off the heat.
- Coarsely crush the blackberries and add them to the pears.
- Add vanilla extract and set aside.
- In a bowl, combine the flour, remaining butter, granulated sugar and salt. Mix using the back of fork (or a stainless-steel pastry blender) until it forms sandy crumbs of butter, sugar and flour. Add the oatmeal. Do not over-mix. Store in the refrigerator until chilled.
- Assembly time: You can serve the crumble family-style in a large, deep casserole dish or serve it individually in little molds.
- Grease the mold(s) with oil or butter. Cover the molds with the pear/blackberry mixture. Sprinkle the top with chocolate. Evenly spoon the crumble topping over the fruit filling.
- Bake in the middle of the oven for 50-55 minutes, until the top is crisp and golden and the filling is bubbling.
- Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes.
- Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
- If you like, decorate with fresh blackberries as a reminder of the flavor of the filling and by dusting the top with powdered sugar using a fine mesh strainer.
- Bon appétit!
