3Tablespoonsbutter, cold and cut into 3 or 4 pieces
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Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F. Place 2 large or 3 small ramekins (or one small baking dish) onto a baking sheet. Set aside.
Prepare the pears: Peel and cut the pears into quarters. Use a knife to slice away the woody spine, core and blossom end, Discard. Cut the pear quarters into chunks. Place into a medium bowl. Add the cranberries, then drizzle with vanilla. Toss to combine. Add the brown sugar, flour, salt and cinnamon to the bowl. Toss to combine well, then divide between the ramekins.
Make the topping: In a medium bowl, stir together the brown sugar, flour, rolled oats, salt and cinnamon. Add the cold butter pieces and use your fingertips to break up and rub the butter into the flour/sugar mixture, until it is evenly about pea-sized pieces. Divide the topping between the ramekins, pressing down slightly to compact.
Bake ramekins on top of baking sheet (in case some juices bubble over while baking), for 30-35 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbling and the topping is golden.
Allow to cool 5-10 minutes before eating. Serve with a dusting of icing/confectioners' sugar, a drizzle of cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Notes
1. If you generally prefer a less sweet dessert, reduce the brown sugar in the filling to 2 Tablespoons. If you are omitting the fresh or frozen cranberries, using another (sweeter) fruit or making a pear-only crisp, you may want to use just 1 Tablespoon of brown sugar in the filling. You can substitute the fresh or frozen cranberries with dried cranberries, or try another fresh fruit, such as blackberries or blueberries.