Cranberry Pear Crumble

{...drool}
Courtesy of a good friend, I've been dying to try this recipe she gave me via my Facebook page. In this last year or so, I've discovered how much I love pears. I tried to poach one once, and it didn't turn out so great, which is why it never made it on to the blog. I love that they are so close to apples, but are softer and are just as versatile. I can't stop eating them! For this recipe I used ripe Bartlet Pears and some fresh but frozen by me cranberries, left over from the holidays. I used a little more than the original recipe called for, but you can add as little or as much as you'd like. Another good thing about crumbles and crisps is that you can alter it to your tastes without compromising the integrity of the dish, making it essentially fool proof!

This recipe yields 4 servings
Ingredients:
2 ripe Bartlet Pears, peeled and cubed
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon All Spice
a tiny bit of lemon juice (to keep the pears from turning brown)

for the topping:
1 cup oats
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, soft but still cold
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Spray 4 single serving dishes with cooking spray. In a medium bowl add a tiny bit of lemon juice, and then add pears and toss lightly. This will keep the pears from turning brown while you do the rest. Add all the remaining ingredients for the filling and toss until well combined and the cornstarch is no longer visible. Pour equally into each dish, should be about 3/4 full, maybe a little more, which is just fine.

In another small bowl, add all the ingredients for the topping and stir with a fork until crumbly, about the size of peas. Top to fruit and push down a little. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until bubbly around the edges. Depending on how full your dishes end up, you may want to place a cookie sheet underneath the dishes in case they run over. In which, you may need to adjust your baking time slightly.

Source: Krystal Cole (thanks friend!)