After testing this recipe several times, I searched and searched for the most beautiful pears one day to no avail.  I was rummaging through the pears at the grocery store when this kind older gentleman wearing a cute little hat noticed, saying “You know dear, the most beautiful outside doesn’t always mean they will taste good on the inside.”  So I left with a basket of pears with spots and bruises, but oh how they tasted when baked into this grain free hazelnut crisp!  Well thats just life—it doesn’t need to be perfect or spotless or always look like a magazine.  Sometimes that is the difficult part of having a blog or your own business, you want everything to look perfect, but thats just not reality!

As I look back on this year and all the things I have to be thankful for, its the moments of imperfection and the crazy adventures that I relish the most.  Its randomly packing up your whole house to join your husband in San Diego for half a year, its the times when my recipe experimentation turned out a disaster but my family still happily ate the crumbs, its the time when I ended up in the hospital feeling hopeless and its the times when salt water afternoon swims seem to cure everything.  Through the merry moments and the despairing ones, I am learning to be thankful for it all!

Warm, fruit crisp topped with fluffy whipped cream has always been one of my absolute favorite desserts.  A crisp is the simpler friend to pie but still so comforting and tasty! This pear berry hazelnut crisp is simply made grain free and Paleo by creating a crumb topping of nuts, coconut and maple sugar.  I chose to use maple for a rich fall flavor.  This crisp is simple to make and perfect for holiday entertaining, as even those who don’t eat grain free will enjoy!  Make sure to serve garnished with a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream or a spoonful of fluffy whipped cream.

I hope you all have a joyous Thanksgiving, remembering to be thankful for it all.  And I promise that although the pears may be bruised and weathered on the outside, this grain free pear berry crisp is simply delightful!

Grain Free & Paleo Pear Berry Hazelnut Crisp

A grain and gluten free fall fruit crisp filled with sweet, juicy pears and a crumbly nut topping.

Ingredients

• 4 pears, slightly hard and not fully ripe
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp vanilla extract, divided
• 6 tbsp butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup hazelnut flour
• 1/3 cup raw cashew pieces
• 1/3 cup finely shredded coconut
• 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp maple sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon, divided
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• coconut oil for greasing pan

whipped cream, coconut cream or vanilla ice cream for serving

Cooking Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a 9 inch pie pan with coconut oil.
• Peal the pears and cut into bit sized cubes.  Toss together pears, blueberries, lemon juice, half vanilla extract and half cinnamon. Set aside.
• In a food processor, add butter, hazelnut flour, cashews, shredded coconut, maple sugar, and spices.  Pulse several times until a crumbly mixture forms. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pulse again.
• Pour fruit mixture into pie pan.  Crumble hazelnut dough over the top of the pears. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of maple sugar over the top.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes or until crisp is golden brown.  Serve warm with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

This & That

Through my several times experimenting with this crisp recipe, I found that a slightly harder, not completely ripe pear works best as they will not release so much juice when baked.