A lovely autumn dessert

Sweet Week continues though I do sort of miss Rotisserie Chicken Wednesday.

I made this Deconstructed Autumn Pear Crisp and the sparkling apple-rosemary sorbet that goes with it for a fund-raising lunch for a museum women's group a couple of years ago. It is really a lovely and light surprise at the end of the meal. Of course, you'll need to have an ice cream/sorbet maker. I've got one of those frozen cylinder types by KitchenAid. It's incredibly easy to use.

This is a clever twist on a baked fruit dessert. The pears are not cooked at all. Slice them paper thin then sprinkle the crunchy topping over piles of them. The rosemary in the sorbet brings another note of a woodsy fall. You can substitute apples for pears; use something sweet and subtle like a Red Delicious or Gala over a tart Granny Smith. Both the topping and sorbet can be made a few days in advance.

Deconstructed Autumn Pear Crisp with
Sparkling Apple-Rosemary Sorbet

Sorbet:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups sparkling apple cider
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 sprig rosemary

Topping:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats, uncooked
1/3 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into large pieces

4 large pears, ripe but still firm
1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Powdered sugar for finishing (optional)

To prepare the sorbet:
In a nonreactive saucepan, heat the granulated sugar and 1/4 cup water over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. Stir in the cider and lemon juice. Add rosemary sprig, cover and refrigerate until cold, then freeze in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and position a rack near the center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

To make the topping:
Mix the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Add butter and rub mixture with your fingertips until the butter is well distributed throughout. Gather the mixture into a single mass as if for pie pastry, then crumble it between your fingers until it has the texture of granola. Spread the mixture on the baking sheet and bake until the crumble is light golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. let cool completely, breaking up an large chunks with your fingers. Set aside.

Just before serving, halve the pears. Use a melon baller to remove the cores and stems. Lay the pear halves cute-side down on a cutting board and cut lengthwise into paper-thin slices. Put the pears in a bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent browning. Toss gently, adding more lemon juice if needed to coat them.

Pile the pear slices on a plate or shallow bowl. Top generously with crumble topping. If desired, sift powdered sugar over them. Serve with two small scoops of apple-rosemary sorbet.

Makes 8 servings.

Source: “The Wine Lover’s Dessert Cookbook” by Mary Cech and Jennie Schacht, Chronicle Books, 2005.

Comments

[Shirley J. Buttacavoli]

I believe pears are on sale this week at the produce stand at the corner of U.S. 19 and Alt 19.

I've got everything else, except an ice cream/sorbet maker, but there are plenty of grocery stores on the way home to pick up a pint or two.

Sounds perfect for fall. Now if we could just get the weather to cooperate!

[rg]

Now Shirley, I don't think you are going to find apple-rosemary sorbet or even plain apple sorbet at the grocery store. You could probably find a flavor that would work great, but this herb-tinged recipe sounds very intriguing!
Janet, I've been thinking of buying an ice-cream maker. Is there a type or brand you would recommend?

[rg]

Oh, duh. You said right in your article that you use a KitchenAid cylinder type. Are they expensive?

[Life Info Zone]

hi buddy
lovely post,thanks for sharing information.

[Stir Crazy]

Mine is not a KitchenAid, it's a Cuisinart. I must have been thinking about my much-adored mixer.

Anyway, it cost about $50 and makes 1.5 quarts. You can get bigger ones but this is just right for my purposes. The cylinder is stored in the freezer and mine is not very big!