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Pear & Feijoa Gingernut Crumble

The key to getting the 'gingernut' flavour is to use a dark unrefined sugar as it retains the molasses to add a burnt caramel-like flavour to the crumb. My sugar of choice is rapadura, and although it is more pricey, I use less sugar overall in my cooking so I don't mind spending a little bit more, a small bag lasts many months. However, readily available muscovado or even brown sugar will also work in this recipe as they have a similar flavour. I also want to mention that I prefer to pre-cook the pears until tender, there is nothing worse than scooping into a golden crumb to find under-cooked fruit. I often use my preserved fruit compote that I make en masse when pears and apples are in season. I simply open a new jar and pour into the baking dish, top with feijoas and crumble and bake. So quick and simple. My new cookbook includes all my preserving recipes and know-how.

Ingredients

  • 5-6 pears or apples peeled and cored
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • about 1 1/2 cups scooped feijoa flesh
  • 1 cup quick-cook porridge oats
  • 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
  • 1/4 cup rapadura or muscovado sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • pinch of salt
  • 100 g cold butter chopped into 1cm cubes

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 180°C.
  • Chop the pears into eighths and place in a small saucepan along with the fresh ginger and water. Cover with a lid and cook over a low heat until the pear is tender when pierced with a small knife. At this stage you can leave the pear as pieces or mash until smooth - this is my preference. Spread the cooked pear in the base of a shallow baking dish (approx 20 x 25cm). Dot with the feijoa flesh.
  • Make the crumble. Place the dry ingredients into a bowl. Add the cubed butter and use your fingers to rub until the mixture clumps together. Alternatively use a food processor and pulse the mixture to combine. Scatter the crumble over the fruit and bake for 30 minutes until the crumble topping is golden. Best served warm with a drizzle of cream or scoop of vanilla ice cream.