Pear Crisp with Lemon Sauce

Happy September everyone!

Boy am I ready for Fall. Not that we'll have a real fall with crunchy leaves and the smell of bonfires, but hopefully a break in the relentless heat.

I was looking for a dessert to make, opened an old magazine (Better Homes and Gardens Comfort Cooking), and turned right to this and said "that's the one". Just because the pears and the yummy topping seem very autimnish to me.

I didn't get any pictures of the process of the lemon sauce, it's a little fast and furious. In fact I ruined the first batch. Too much corn starch perhaps. It was just a yellow glop. But I'm glad I tried again, because it really was worth it. I recommend not skipping that step!

Ingredients:

5 cups peels and sliced baking pears (bosc)

1 tbsp sugar

3/4 tsp finely shredded lemon peel

2/3 cup regular rolled oats

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/4 tsp cardamom (I used cinnamon)

1/4 cup butter

1/3 cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup sugar

2 tbsp cornstarch

1/2 cup water

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp lemon juice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375degrees. In 2 quart baking dish, combine pears, 1 tbsp sugar, and 1/4 lemon peel. Toss together.

2. For topping, combine oats, brown sugar, flour, cardamom, and 1/4 lemon peel. Cut in 1/4 cup butter with pastry blender till mixture is coarse and crumbly. Stir in almonds. Sprinkle topping over fruit.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, in small saucepan, combine 1/4 cup sugar, and 2 tbsp cornstarch. Stir in 1/2 cup water. Cook and stir over med. heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Remove from heat.

In small bowl, beat egg yolk. Stir in a little of the hot mixture. Return all egg yolk mixture to saucepan. Cook and stir over low heat until nearly bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Remove from heat.

Stir in 1 tbsp butter, lemon juice, and the remaining 1/4 tsp lemon peel. Serve warm over crisp.

In other news...

I've won a couple of giveaways lately!

From Jersey Girl Cooks I won this book.

Can't wait to read it!

And from Three Bay B Chicks I won this CD.

I'd heard of this guy but wasn't sure what kind of music he did.

He sounds a little like Barry Manilow to me. (yes, that's a compliment)