“Gobble! Gobble!” goes my stomach, filled with the gargantuan turkey from last night.

BenGusto wishes everyone a nice Thanksgiving weekend! For the special occasion, a BenGusto original recipe for the autumn weather is in order.

Yesterday, I spent all day cooking up a delightful Thanksgiving meal (I’m sure this is pretty common on Thanksgiving). One of the hits of the night was my apple and bosc pear crisp that I made with homemade vanilla bean ice cream. It was definitely the best crisp many at the dinner had ever had, and it packed all the beauty and color of the autumn season in one dish.

 

Bosc pears are incredible. First of all, they are brown, which makes these pears automatically better than normal green pears. When they’re ripe, they are so soft, sweet, and juicy. Two ripe bosc pears in this crisp made a big difference. If you eat a pear, eat it bosc.

I also put some raspberries in the crisp, which was a nice touch. A great tip I learned from the Barefoot Contessa was to add the juice of a lemon and an orange, as well as the zest of the two fruits. Man oh man! That gave a great kick of flavor.

I did experience some sweet failure in the making of this crisp. I tried to roast the leftover apple peels in brown sugar and leftover orange-lemon juice, hoping to make a nice little garnish for the dessert. It was too sweet and too gross. Next time, I’ll try roasting it without any liquid, or something.

Before you read this recipe and run off to the kitchen to start peeling the pears (I hope), I would like to say what “we” here at BenGusto are thankful for this year (When I say we, I really mean just me).

I am thankful for you, my friends. Thank you all, and happy Thanksgiving!

– Ben “Gusto” Gaiarin

 

Autumn Apple & Pear Crisp with Raspberry 

• 4 large, red Apples (not tart)
• 2 large Bosc Pears
• 1/4 cup Raspberries
• 1 large Orange
• 1/2 a Lemon
• 1 tbsp. Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
• 1/4 cup dark Brown Sugar
• 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
• 2 tbsp. Grand Marnier (optional)

For the crumble topping:

•  3/4 cup Oats
• 3/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
• 2 tbsp. Granulated Sugar
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 1 stick Cold Butter (8 tbsp.)
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Peel the apples and pears.

 

 

Dice the apples and pears into thin chunks. Place them in a large bowl.

Using a cheese grater, grate the orange zest and add the zest to the apple-pear mixture.

Grate the lemon zest and add it to the bowl as well.

Squeeze the juice of one orange over the apples and pears. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the apples and pears as well.

Add all the spices, sugars, and grand marnier to the bowl and mix well.

 

Pour the apple and pear into a square pan. Lay the raspberries over the apple and pear. Set aside.

Crumble Topping:

Mix together the oats, flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and salt in a bowl.

Dice the refrigerated butter into small chunks. Throw it in with the dry ingredients.

 

In an electric mixer fitted with a mixing paddle, beat the butter and vanilla extract into the dry mixture until a crumble (like granola bunches) is formed.

 

Spread the crumble topping over the fruit.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until crumble is golden brown and apple juices are oozing.

Serve warm with a dollop of vanilla ice cream. MMmmmmm.. sounds so good!