Pear crisp with star anise
3
Points®
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), divided
Fresh lemon juice
½ Tbsp
Brandy
½ Tbsp, regular or pear variety
Uncooked old fashioned rolled oats
¼ cup(s)
All-purpose flour
2 Tbsp
Star anise
½ tsp, finely ground
Ground cinnamon
½ tsp
Table salt
¼ tsp
Unsalted butter
1 Tbsp, melted