The Pear Frenzy: Part I

        When I was younger, pears were my favorite fruit. I ate them all the time and especially when I was over my Nonna's, as she would always cut the pears into slices for me. It was my favorite way to eat them. Even better, she'd hand me a juice box filled with my favorite drink--pear juice. That stuff was my reason for living.
        After all these years, I'm still very fond of pears. The difference between then and now is the fact that pears share my heart with apples, which I've admittedly come to love just as much. One thing hasn't changed, though: sometimes all I want to do is bite into a good, juicy pear.

Pear Crisp Minis

        Hooray for baking partnerships! I'm delighted to say that I paid another visit to my partners in crime, the phenomenal bakers Marilena and Leah of Plump Me Up. Seeing as they had an abundance of the aforementioned fruit, we decided to make not one, but two pear desserts and a series of two posts on each of our blogs to follow. I helped bake and was in charge of the photography, which kept me really busy snapping photos around their kitchen. 
        I share with you the first part of our pear frenzy today. I've expressed my love for miniatures once before and here you have it: pear crisp minis, baked in these cutesy new cocotte pots of theirs.

        These cocottes are adorable, with bright, beautiful colors. They're nice and small--perfect for mini desserts.
        I must have these little pots for my own. 

        We thoroughly enjoyed the pear crisps, myself in particular. They were easy to make and had a great nutmeg flavor that worked wonderfully with the pears. I know some people aren't fans of nutmeg, but I loved it here and I think that spice is what made the crisp for me. However, you may sub in cinnamon if you'd prefer.

       This is probably only the second time in my life that I've eaten pear crisp, but it brings back memories all the same. I truly believe that it rivals its traditional apple counterpart.
        You see, sometimes all I want to do is bite into a good, juicy pear.
        Other times, all I want to do is dive spoon-first into a delicious, warm pear crisp.

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Pear Crisp Minis
(recipe from Plump Me Up)
Print This Recipe
Yield: approximately 8 mini crisps | 8 8-oz cocottes or ramekins


Ingredients
4 to 5 pears, cored and sliced
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
2 teaspoons nutmeg, or cinnamon
2/3 cup melted butter


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place pear slices evenly at the bottom of each mini cocotte or ramekin.
2. In a bowl, combine remaining ingredients and mix well. Sprinkle mixture evenly over pears in each dish and press down on the tops. Place the dishes on a baking sheet.
3. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until tops are golden brown, with bubbling around the edges. Serve warm.