Description
These spiced pear and ginger-orange crumb bars offer a warm, cozy twist on classic dessert bars, combining soft fruit filling with a buttery crumb crust and topping. It’s a perfect bake-ahead treat for holiday gatherings or a family-friendly snack.
Ingredients
- 2.25 cups all-purpose flour
- 0.75 cup granulated sugar
- 0.5 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 0.5 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, very cold and cubed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large firm pears (Bosc or Anjou), peeled, cored, and diced
- 0.33 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 0.5 teaspoon ground ginger (for filling)
- 0.25 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 0.25 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (for filling thickener)
- 0.25 cup water (for filling thickener)
- 0.33 cup fresh orange juice
- 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
- 0.5 teaspoon ground ginger (for swirl)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (for swirl)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch (for swirl thickener)
- 1 tablespoon water (for swirl thickener)
- 0.25 cup powdered sugar (for dusting)
Instructions
- Prepare Pan and Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper, allowing an overhang on the longer sides for easy removal.
- Make Crumb Mixture: Whisk together flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the vanilla extract. Reserve exactly half of this mixture for the topping.
- Form and Bake Crust: Press the remaining half of the crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan to create the crust. Bake for 15 minutes, until light golden brown. Let cool slightly while preparing the fillings.
- Prepare Spiced Pear Filling: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine diced pears, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, and lemon juice. Cook for 8-10 minutes until pears soften. Whisk cornstarch and water into a slurry, then add to the pears and cook for 2-3 minutes until thickened.
- Make Ginger-Orange Swirl: In a separate small saucepan, combine orange juice, orange zest, ginger, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and water. Whisk constantly over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until thickened to a sauce consistency.
- Layer and Bake: Pour the warm pear filling over the partially baked crust. Dollop spoonfuls of the ginger-orange swirl over the top and gently pull a butter knife through to create ribbons. Crumble the reserved crumb topping evenly over the filling. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and bubbling.
- Cool Completely and Cut: Remove from oven and cool completely for 2-3 hours on a wire rack; refrigerating for 1 hour helps with cleaner cuts. Lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment paper overhang and cut into 12-16 squares. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
To avoid a soggy bottom crust, pre-bake the base for 15 minutes as directed before adding the filling. Ensure the filling is adequately thickened with cornstarch. For a crispier topping, avoid overworking the butter into the flour; you want a variety of textures, from fine crumbs to pea-sized chunks. For clean cuts, ensure the bars are cooled completely, preferably in the refrigerator, before slicing.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 300 kcal
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg