I got to thinking about really celebrating the food of the season this year and decided what could be more perfect than a pear and cranberry crumble? Pears are really at their peak right now, juicy, lush and sweet and of course cranberries are ubiquitous around the holidays. Gluten-free, dairy-free, sweet, crunchy and best of all, simple, this crumble is special enough for a Thanksgiving feast but easy and homey enough for a weeknight dinner. Kind of perfect, right?

What dessert(s) do you serve for your special feasts?

Pear Cranberry Almond Crumble


Ingredients

½ cup pear nectar or apple juice
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder
½ teaspoon plus 1 small pinch kosher or fine sea salt – use divided
5 medium pears, cored, peeled and cut into ¼ inch slices
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1½ cups finely ground blanched almond flour
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup sliced almonds
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ cup grapeseed oil (or other neutral tasting oil)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 or 10 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the pear nectar or apple juice, lemon juice, cornstarch or arrowroot powder and a small pinch of salt. Add the pear slices and cranberries and gently toss. Pour into the prepared dish.

In another large mixing bowl combine the almond flour, brown sugar, the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt and sliced almonds. Add the vanilla and oil and stir with a fork until crumbly. Top the pears with the mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for 10 – 15 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the juices are bubbly. Serve warm.

Serves 8.

Carol Kicinski is a gluten-free food writer, recipe developer, and television chef.  She is the author of the up coming gluten-free cookbook Simply...Gluten-free Desserts and does a monthly gluten-free cooking segmnet on the national sundicated morning show Daytime.  Carol also created and publishes the popular blog Simply...Gluten-free where she shares recipes and tips for gluten-free living with beautiful photos and a touch of humor.