Pear Crisp
Serves 8 people
Topping ingredients
* 2 cups raw walnuts or pecans, soaked and dehydrated
* 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded dried coconut
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
* 1/2 cup raisins
* 1/2 cup pitted medjool dates
* 1/4 cup sucanat (see notes)
Filling ingredients
* 10 medium pears
* 6-10 large dates
* 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice (more for a tangier flavor)
* ¼ - ½ teaspoon lemon zest
To make the crumble topping, place the walnuts, coconut, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a food processor fitted with the S-blade and process until coarsely ground. Add the raisins and dates and process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and begins to stick together. Add the cane sugar and process briefly.
To make the filling, place about a third of the pears along with the date paste and lemon juice in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Remove to a mixing bowl and toss with the remaining pears.
To assemble the crisp, press 1/2 cup of the Crumble Topping into an 8-inch square glass baking dish. Spread the pear filling on top. Press the remaining Crumble Topping on top of the pears, allowing some of the filling to peek through.
Covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator, Pear Crisp will keep for three days. Serve at room temperature, or warm in a dehydrator at 115 degrees F for 30 minutes.
Note: Rapadura, also known as succant is a common kind of cane sugar. Rapadura is produced as one of the first steps in making sugar. Thus, it is the least processed of the cane sugars.
To make date paste, place 1/3 cup water and 1 cup soaked pitted dates in a food processor and process until smooth. Yield: 1 cup.
Stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator, date paste will keep for 2 weeks.
