Roasted Pear Crumble
Bon Appetit, October 2013

Consider this sweet and crunchy dessert a free-form fruit crisp. Be warned: The nutty oat topping is addictive.

2 ripe but firm Anjou or Bartlett pears, halved, cored
2 teaspoons plus 2 Tbsp. olive oil
¼ cup raw almonds or pecan halves, coarsely chopped
¼ cup shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons old-fashioned oats
pinch of kosher salt
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, preferably black
½ cup mascarpone
2 teaspoons sugar

Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 375°. Place pears, cut side up, on a small baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tsp. oil, and roast on upper rack until soft, 20–30 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, toss almonds, pumpkin seeds, brown sugar, oats, salt, and remaining 2 Tbsp. oil on a small baking sheet. Toast on lower rack, stirring occasionally, until golden, 10–12 minutes. Remove from oven and mix in sesame seeds. Let cool.

Whisk mascarpone and sugar in a small bowl. Spoon mascarpone onto plates and top with pears and nut-oat crumble.

Servings 4

To Caramelize the Pears (if you prefer instead of just baking)

Caramelized Pears with Vanilla Syrup
Bon Appetit, February 3, 2012

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, coarsely chopped
Large pinch of ground cardamom
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
2 pears (such as Bosc), halved, cored

Finely grind 2 Tbsp. sugar and vanilla bean in spice mill until bean is finely ground (discard any large pieces). Transfer to a small bowl; add 1/4 cup water and stir until sugar is dissolved. Combine remaining 2 tsp. sugar and cardamom in another small bowl.

Melt butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle cut sides of pears with cardamom sugar. Place in skillet, cut side down, and cook, shifting pears in skillet for even cooking, until brown, about 5 minutes. Turn pears over and add vanilla water to skillet. Cover pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until pears are just tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer pears to plates, cut side up.

Bring liquid in skillet to a boil and reduce until syrupy, 1–2 minutes. Drizzle syrup over pears.