Equipment
Ingredients
Brown Sugar Oat Crisp
- 50 g rolled oats
- 40 g all-purpose flour
- 40 g brown sugar, packed
- 1 g salt
- 45 g vegan butter, chilled and diced
Glazed Bosc Pears
- 4 bosc pears, firm but ripe
- 30 g vegan butter
- 50 g brown sugar, packed
- 45 ml pear brandy
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 g ground cinnamon
Dairy-Free Syllabub
- 120 ml dairy-free whipping cream, thoroughly chilled
- 25 g powdered sugar, sifted
- 15 ml pear brandy
- 2 g lemon zest, finely grated
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl, combine the rolled oats, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, salt, and diced chilled vegan butter. Rub the mixture together with your fingertips until it resembles coarse, clumpy crumbs.
Spread the oat mixture evenly onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until deeply golden brown and fragrant.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the oat crisp to cool completely on a wire rack. It will harden further as it cools.
While the crisp cools, peel the Bosc pears using a peeler. Cut them in half, remove the cores with a melon baller or knife, and slice them uniformly.
Melt the vegan butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced pears and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until they begin to soften and develop a slight golden color on the edges.
Sprinkle the brown sugar and ground cinnamon evenly over the pears. Stir gently until the sugar melts and begins to bubble, coating the fruit in a dark, fragrant syrup.
Pour the pear brandy and lemon juice into the skillet. Allow the liquid to bubble vigorously, reducing for 2 to 3 minutes until it forms a thick, glossy glaze that clings to the pears. Remove from heat.
In a clean mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to whip the chilled dairy-free whipping cream until soft peaks form.
Add the sifted powdered sugar, pear brandy, and finely grated lemon zest to the whipped cream. Gently fold with a spatula until just combined, being careful not to deflate the airy texture.
Divide the warm glazed pears and their syrup evenly among four shallow bowls or dessert glasses. Top generously with the cooled oat crisp, and finish each portion with a large dollop of the pear brandy syllabub.
Chef's Notes
- Bosc pears are the premier choice for heated dessert applications due to their dense flesh and firm structure, which withstands caramelization without falling apart.
- For an extra layer of flavor complexity, lightly toast the rolled oats in a dry pan for 3 to 4 minutes before mixing them into the crisp dough.
- When reducing the brandy glaze, keep a close eye on the skillet. The high sugar content means the syrup can easily tip from deeply caramelized to burnt in a matter of seconds.
- If your dairy-free whipping cream splits or becomes grainy, it may have been overwaxed or over-whipped. Gently fold in a teaspoon of un-whipped, cold liquid cream to restore smoothness.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store components separately in airtight containers. Assemble just before serving to maintain the crisp texture.
Reheating: Reheat pears gently in a skillet over low heat. Crisp can be refreshed in a 150C oven for 5 minutes. Do not heat the syllabub.
