Mini Roasted Pear Crumbles

If your holiday dinners are known to be belly-busting, surprise your family and guests with this refreshingly light roasted pear dish that is naturally sweet and bursting with flavor.

Recipe adapted from: Roasted Pear Crumble-Bon Appetit Magazine, October 2013

Servings: 8

Author: Linda Shapiro, © Meal Planning Maven

Ingredients

4 almost ripe pears unpeeled (should be somewhat firm with a slight “give”)
1/2 lemon
2 teaspoons coconut oil
Cinnamon
1 cup Nutty Crunchy Crumble or granola
2 cups plain or vanilla Greek yogurt or vanilla ice cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cut pears in half lengthwise. With a sharp paring knife, carefully remove core and seeds, leaving bottoms intact.
Rub cut sides of pears with lemon. (prevents browning) Lightly brush each pear half with coconut oil; sprinkle with cinnamon.
Place pears cut-side up in a medium baking dish. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes or until pears feel very soft when pricked with a fork. Depending on firmness some additional baking time may be needed. Let cool for 5 minutes.
Arrange each pear half on a decorative plate.
Sprinkle each with Nutty Crunchy Crumble.
Spoon yogurt or ice cream alongside pears.

Notes

Make Ahead and Storage Tips: pears may be roasted up to 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Reheat pears at 300 degrees F for about 8 minutes or until warmed through. Top with crumble accompanied by a dollop of yogurt or ice cream.

How to Shop for Pears: look for pears that are firm but have a slight give when lightly pressed with your thumb. Avoid those that have dark spots as they will only continue to bruise once you get them home. If pears are hard when purchased, simply place them in a tightly rolled up paper bag for 1 to 2 days or until just starting to soften.

What Kind Should You Pick? Any variety of pear suitable for baking may be used such as green or red Bartlett and Anjou or Bosc. For additional information, check out this great pear tutorial from Saveur Magazine.