Description
A simple, forgiving, and cozy fall dessert featuring tender pears and fresh ginger in a buttery shortbread crust. These bars are easy to make, portable, and perfect for using up overripe fruit.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 medium pears (about 1.5 lbs / 680g), peeled and sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with butter or non-stick spray.
- In a food processor, pulse flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, and salt to mix. Add cold cubed butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized butter pieces.
- Press two-thirds of the crust mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Set the remaining one-third aside for the topping.
- In a large bowl, toss sliced pears with lemon juice, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, nutmeg, fresh ginger, and cornstarch until evenly coated.
- Pour the pear mixture over the pressed crust and spread evenly.
- Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture evenly over the filling. Do not press down; keep it loose and crumbly.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling vigorously around the edges. Tent with foil if edges brown too quickly.
- Cool completely in the pan for at least 1 hour (or overnight) before cutting to allow the filling to set.
Notes
Keep butter cold for a flaky crust. Do not skip cornstarch as it thickens the pear juices. Fresh ginger provides a better flavor than ground ginger. Bars must cool completely before cutting to prevent falling apart. Can be stored in the fridge for 5 days or frozen for 3 months.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 18
- Fat: 10
- Saturated Fat: 6
- Carbohydrates: 32
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 2
Keywords: fall dessert, pear bars, ginger crumble, easy baking, autumn recipes, fruit bars, shortbread crust