Farmer’s market doesn’t open in my town until next month, but an indoor fruit and veggie market just opened recently down the street from me. They source almost all of their goods (except for citrus) from the local area, so it’s close enough to a farmer’s market for me, with the added bonus that I don’t get rained on while I shop.
This week when I stopped by the fruit market, I saw a beautiful sight, the first blackberries of the year! They grow like wildfire around here in the summertime, so seeing them automatically makes me think of blue skies and sunshine. So far this spring, there has been very little blue skies and sunshine, so I looked at these berries and saw hope! Hope that summer is actually on its way!
In the height of summer when the berries are extra ripe and sweet, I don’t even add sugar when I make this. But some of these early berries were a little on the tart side, so I added a little just to soften the bite. The pears also added a little natural sweetness too. This dessert has the added benefit of being pretty healthy, at least until you top it off with a big scoop of berry ice cream.
Blackberry Pear Crisp
Blackberry Pear Crisp
1 pound blackberries
3 pears, sliced
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup oats
1/3 cup nuts
4 tbsp. butter, cut up in small pieces
Mix fruit and 1 tbsp. sugar, cinnamon, and cornstarch in a baking dish.
In a food processor, add flour, remaining sugar, oats, nuts and butter. Pulse until it resembles large crumbs. If you don’t have a food processor, you can do this in a bowl with 2 butter knives. Sprinkle on top of fruit. Top with a few more dabs of butter if desired. Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes (a little longer if needed) until topping begins to brown. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.
Blackberry Pear Crisp a la mode
3hungrymonkeys 