Pear + Chocolate Crumble

Hi there! Remember me? After experiencing a mid-life blog crisis, followed by a short burst of creative energy, and then another lull – I’m back with a few updates and a new recipe.

So: I have been working on a blog lately, just not one that is Pancakes & Biscotti. Most of the free time I’ve had the past few months has gone towards laying the groundwork for a site that will hopefully house the prolific collection of A+ recipes that Carla Tomasi cooked, baked, and raved about. I feel that this is the perfect way to honor her memory and legacy, as someone who freely and happily shared her recipes and knowledge with everyone and anyone who asked.

Three other friends of Carla – who I’ve been so pleased to get to know better – are part of this project too, not to mention countless other friends, followers, and students who have contributed to the effort, sending in the recipes they received from Carla over the years. We have so far collected about 140 of them, from breads to pastas to puddings. The messages accompanying each recipe are full of enthusiasm and encouragement for what is admittedly a daunting undertaking. The recipes themselves are filled with Carla’s own notes and musings, which are bittersweet – erring more on sweet, with the occasional tear or two – to read.

Aside from the Cooking with Carla Project – my goal for 2025! – I’ve been alright. I’ve not yet perceived the shock-and-awe of the Jubilee that we’d been warned about, at least not yet (let’s see what happens – it’s low season after all). My work/life balance continues to be a struggle, and I miss the teleworking option my workplace once afforded (I’m not sure I’ll ever adjust to being back in the office five days a week after five years of more flexible working arrangements). I had a birthday, officially entering the tail-end of my mid-30s, and wonder where the time went – it seems like only yesterday that I was (anxiously) musing about my 30th birthday.

Updates done, on to the recipe, yes? This first post of the year falls in February, just before Valentine’s Day, and what sort of (lately slacking, part-time) blogger would I be if I didn’t supply you with something chocolate-y to bake for your loved ones on the 14th?

Here we have a crumble that is decidedly both sophisticated and surprising (intrigued?!). Sophisticated, because pear + chocolate is a combination that has always felt elegant, grown-up, maybe even just a little bit French. Surprising, because this isn’t your typical crumble. Pears – consistently overlooked when it comes to pies, crumbles, cobblers, and crisps – get star billing here, taking the place of the usual apple. The topping turns the typical oatmeal-walnut-cinnamon deal on its head, in all its unapologetically cocoa-resplendent glory. In other words: think of this as an upgrade to the chocolate-covered strawberry you’re likely to find this time of year.

The verdict? The pears here shine and become downright pear-y (new word). Free of the usual heavy dose of sugar often mixed in with the fruit. their natural flavor intensifies with a little roasting in the oven. Our pears are foiled expertly by the topping, which I can best describe as a brownie-shortbread mash-up: fudgy and rich, but also pleasantly buttery. It’s a little gooey – the chocolate melts into puddles and mixes with the pears and their juices– and is superb served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream over the top. It’s a heavenly mix of temperatures and textures, cozy and comforting and winter-y and all around divine.

Bonus: this crumble is also a nod to the pear and chocolate jam that Carla would whip up. She would sell jars of it at the beloved Latteria Christmas markets, and I’d get my fill too, slathering it on everything from cornetti to brioche. You can read more about it here.

If all goes according to plan: see you soon with one more (winter-y, vegetarian) recipe and Roman restaurant round-up that I’m particularly excited about.

A couple of notes: I used Williams pears here, but Bartlett or D’Anjou can also be used. Use ripe pears, not the super hard ones (they will need to soften while baking). No sugar is added to the pears in the recipe as written; however, if you would like the fruit sweeter or your pears are not super sweet, feel free to increase by a few tablespoons (I added one). This crumble would also be good with some raspberries or strawberries added in, or made with cherries when they’re in season. I baked this crumble in one big dish, but you could also make really cute individual crumbles using ramekins instead (I would guess it would make about 6-8 mini crumbles). Any leftover crumble can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. I found it reheats just fine in the microwave.

Looking for other fruit recipes? Click here.
For more pear and chocolate, I have this pear and chocolate tart and this pear and chocolate cake.

PEAR + CHOCOLATE CRUMBLE

Serves 6-8. Recipe barely adapted from Bigger Bolder Baking.

Ingredients for the filling:
7 ripe pears (I used Williams, see notes)
1 tablespoon sugar (see notes)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
A few shakes of cinnamon (optional)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Ingredients for the topping:
1 cup (120 grams) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (160 grams) dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (170 grams) cold butter, cut into cubes
1/2 cup (100 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Directions:
1.) Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Butter a 9-inch baking dish.

2.) Peel, core, and chop the pears into chunks. Tip into a large bowl and then add the cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla, and sugar and cinnamon (if using). Stir well, and pour the filling into the baking dish.

3.) In a large bowl whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Add the cold butter and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mix resembles wet sand and is well incorporated. (Note: you can also use a food processor for this step). Stir in the chopped chocolate.

4.) Sprinkle the chocolate crumble mixture over the pears, distributing evenly. Bake the crumble for 45-50 minutes, or until the pears are soft and bubbling and the topping is set. Let cool slightly, and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.