InstaRecipe: Boozy Apple Pear Crisp With Bourbon Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream
By Julia Weeman in Food on Oct 27, 2013 7:05PM
Apples and pears are at their best right now and I've been getting an abundance of them in my produce share. Though they are absolutely delicious on their own, this sudden chill in the air begs for them to mingle together with some spice and rum. Topped with a crispy oatmeal crumble and finished with vanilla bean bourbon whipped cream, this boozy apple pear crisp is the perfect way to warm up to fall. You can really use any sort of apple or pear you'd like, but a firmer, tarter fruit will work best. Increase the sugar if your palate tends toward the more saccharine and feel free to play with the ratio of apples to pears.
Boozy Apple Pear Crisp with Bourbon Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream
Ingredients:
5 small apples
3 small pears
5 Tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup rum
2 Tablespoons raw sugar
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup flour
1 cup whipping cream
2 teaspoons bourbon
1 vanilla bean
2 Tablespoons sugar
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Grease an 8-inch square pan with butter.
Make the filling: peel and chop apples and pears into large chunks.
In a bowl, mix the spices, 1/8 teaspoon salt, rum and 1 tablespoon of the raw sugar with the fruit. Set aside while you make the topping: In a separate bowl, use your hands or a pastry blender to work 3 tablespoons of the butter in with the oatmeal and flour, 1 tablespoon raw sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt.
Assemble the crisp: Cut remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into chunks. Add fruit mixture to a greased pan and dot with butter. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit, evenly distributing it across the top. Bake 45 minutes, until the topping is browned and the fruit is bubbling. Let cool at least 30 minutes.
Make the whipped cream: put the bowl and whisk attachment of a stand mixer in your freezer. If you don't have a stand mixer, a hand whisk and bowl will work as well. Let chill at least 15 minutes.
Using a sharp paring knife, split the vanilla bean down the middle and scrape out the seeds. Remove the bowl and whisk from the freezer and pour the whipping cream and vanilla bean seeds into the bowl. Using whisk, beat on medium speed for 1 minute (or whisk until the mixture is thick). Increase speed to medium high and continue beating (or whisking) while you sprinkle in the sugar and bourbon. Beat/whisk until soft peaks form. Cut the crisp and serve slightly warm with a generous dollop of whipped cream on top.