A crumble is one of the first dishes Alice learned to make, and this pear and coconut crumble holds a special place in her heart. Now, she's sharing it with Elizabeth Chong, bringing together caramelised pears and a crisp, nutty oat topping.
The coconut adds a subtle chewiness, giving a tropical twist to this classic dessert.
Whether served warm with ice cream or a drizzle of cream, this comforting bake is all about simple ingredients coming together beautifully.
Tips
- Choose firm but ripe pears: They'll hold their shape during baking and won't turn to mush.
- Slice evenly: Try to cut the pear slices roughly the same size, so they cook evenly.
- Use cold butter: Cold butter helps you achieve a crumbly texture in the topping. Work it through quickly with your fingertips to avoid melting it.
- Don't over-mix the crumble: Stop mixing once you have rough, chunky crumbs. This gives a better, crunchier texture on top.
- Pulse the crumble in a food processor: If using a processor, just pulse a few times. Over-mixing can make it too dense.
- Add the maple at the end: Drizzling the maple syrup after rubbing in the butter helps give the crumble those golden sticky bits.
Here’s the full list of recipes from Season 2 of A Bite To Eat With Alice.
This recipe appears in A Bite to Eat with Alice, a new nightly cooking show on ABC iviewand weeknights at 5pm on ABC TV.
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A Bite To Eat With Alice: Pear and coconut crumble
- Prep time:
- 25
- Cook time:
- 60
- Skill level:
- Low
- Serves:
- 4
Ingredients
For the filling
- 6—8 medium-sized firm but ripe pears, peeled, cored, quartered and each quarter halved
- ½ lemon, juiced (1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
For the topping
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ½ cup almond meal
- ¼ cup raw almonds, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup shredded coconut
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon salt flakes
Method
- Preheat your oven to 170°C (190°C conventional).
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the sliced pears, lemon juice, maple, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Toss to coat evenly. Transfer the pear mixture to a 20x20cm baking dish, spreading it out in an even layer.
- In another mixing bowl, combine the rolled oats, almond meal, chopped almonds, shredded coconut, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the cold butter and using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. This can also be done with a food processor, pressing the pulse button. Drizzle the maple and sprinkle the salt over the crumble mixture, then stir to combine.
- Scatter the crumble topping evenly over the pear filling in the baking dish. Bake for 50 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
- Remove the crumble from the oven and let it cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy warm with a dollop of Greek yoghurt, a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of pouring cream.
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