Gingerbread Pear Cobbler

Serves 8
Prep Time 15 min
Cook Time 25 min
Print Recipe
Warm spices and ripe pears come together in this comforting fall dessert. The gingerbread topping bakes up golden, while the pear filling turns soft and syrupy underneath. It takes only 15 minutes of prep time, but your family will think you spent all day on it after your kitchen is filled with the scents of ginger, cinnamon, and molasses.

Ingredients

  • Filling

    • 6 ripe pears, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
    • ⅓ cup (75 mL) granulated sugar
    • ½ tsp (2.5 mL) lemon zest
    • 2 tbsp (30 mL) lemon juice
    • 2 tsp (10 mL) minced fresh ginger
    • 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract
    • 1 tbsp (15 mL) cornstarch
    • 3 tbsp (45 mL) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

  • Topping

    • 1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
    • ½ cup (125 mL) granulated sugar
    • 2 tsp (10 mL) ground ginger
    • 1 tsp (5 mL) ground cinnamon
    • 1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder
    • ½ tsp (2.5 mL) baking soda
    • ¼ tsp (1.25 mL) each ground allspice and cloves
    • ¼ tsp (1.25 mL) salt
    • ⅓ cup (75 mL) cold unsalted butter, cubed
    • 2 eggs, divided
    • 2 tbsp (30 mL) molasses
    • 1 tbsp (15 mL) coarse sugar (such as turbinado)

Instructions

  • Filling

    • Step 1

      Preheat oven to 400˚F (200˚C). Toss together pears, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, ginger and vanilla; sprinkle evenly with cornstarch and toss to combine. Scrape into 8-inch (2 L) baking dish. Dot with butter.

  • Topping

    • Step 1

      Whisk together flour, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cloves, and salt; using a pastry blender or fingertips, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

    • Step 2

      Whisk 1 egg with molasses until blended. Stir into flour mixture; do not overwork the dough. Drop dough by large spoonfuls randomly onto top of filling.

    • Step 3

      Whisk remaining egg with 1 tbsp (15 mL) water; brush over batter. Sprinkle evenly with coarse sugar. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until pears are tender, topping is golden brown, no longer doughy and cake tester comes out clean when inserted into centre of topping. Let stand for 15 to 20 minutes.

Paperclip IconTips

• Try Bosc, Bartlett or Anjou pears for the filling.

• Sprinkle cobbler with chopped pecans before baking if desired.

• Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving
Calories370
Fat13 g
Saturated Fat8 g
Trans Fat0 g
Carbohydrate60 g
Fibre5 g
Sugars38 g
Protein4 g
Sodium210 mg