Pear crisp with star anise
3
Points® value
Total Time
1 hr
Prep
15 min
Cook
45 min
Serves
8
Difficulty
Easy
Star anise is a star-shaped, dark brown pod. It lends wonderful, strong, almost licorice-like flavor to baked goods. If you can’t find it ground, you can also substitute Chinese five-spice powder in this recipe. The star anise goes particularly well with the other ingredients featured here, like ripe pears, dark brown sugar, brandy, and old-fashioned oats. The crumb topping comes together in minutes thanks to the convenience of using a food processor, and it tastes great with nearly any kind of fruit. After it bakes, the aroma will be irresistible, but if you have the patience or are otherwise too busy with dinner, you can let it hang out at room temperature until you're ready to serve dessert.
Ingredients
Bartlett pear
5 medium, or Anjou, cored, cut in 1/4-inch-thick slices
Dark brown sugar
¼ cup(s)
Fresh lemon juice
½ tbsp(s)
Brandy
¼ fl oz, regular or pear variety (1/2 Tbsp)
Uncooked old fashioned oats
¼ cup(s)
Star anise
½ tsp(s), finely ground
Ground cinnamon
½ tsp(s)
Table salt
¼ tsp(s)
Unsalted butter
1 tbsp(s), melted