Spiced Pear and Date Crumble

Ever bake with gin? Once you try this crumble from our StilL 630 episode, you'll consider adding a dash of botanical-forward gin to a range of recipes, from sweet to savory. A crumble is inherently easy to make -- no need to bother with a pastry crust -- and in this recipe, sweet, rich dates mingle with pears and apples to create a filling that will make your guests ask for seconds.

Paired with: White port 

Recipe by: Catherine Neville 

Crumble:

  • 1 cup rolled oats

  • ½ cup (8 Tbsp) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

  • ½ cup all-purpose flour

  • ¾ cup brown sugar

  • ⅛ cup granulated sugar

  • ½ to 1 tsp sea salt

  • ¾ tsp ground cinnamon

  • ½ tsp ground ginger

  • ¼ tsp nutmeg

Filling:

  • ½ cup botanical-forward gin

  • ¼ cup honey

  • ¼ cup brown sugar

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

  • ½ tsp ground corriander 

  • ½ tsp ground ginger

  • ½ tsp white pepper (use black if you don’t have white available) 

  • 1 cup pitted dates, quartered 

  • ½ cup dried blueberries

  • 2 pears, peeled, cored and cubed

  • 2 tart apples (like Granny Smith), peeled, cored and cubed

  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch

| Preparation | Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the crumble ingredients and work with your hands until the ingredients are well mixed and the butter and flour are incorporated and starting to clump together. Set aside. 

In another large bowl, mix the gin, honey, brown sugar and vanilla until the sugar begins to dissolve. Stir in the spices -- cinnamon, coriander, ginger and pepper. Then add the dates, blueberries, pears and apples and mix thoroughly, coating all of the fruit with the gin-honey mixture. Add the cornstarch and toss to combine.

Pour the fruit mixture into an 8-inch-by-8-inch casserole dish and top with the crumble. Bake for 45 minutes or until top is golden brown and filling is bubbling. 

Catherine Neville