Blueberries & Pears Dessert

Grenville and I have been really mostly good about sticking to the South Beach Diet Plan the past couple of weeks — until tonight. Today it’s all about dessert, a change from the sugar-free fudgcicles we’ve had the past couple of weeks.

Really it’s Grenville’s “fault” because the pear tree he planted in the F&P orchard has finally borne fruit this year. And, with new neighbors invited for dinner tonight, the 5 pears he picked were destined for dessert. Blueberries were in the fridge too, thanks to a recent sale; combining the 2 fruits with a few other ingredients led to . . .

Blueberry-Pear Cobbler

• 2 C blueberries
• 3 C soft ripe pears, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 C sugar, divided
• 1/2 C brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ginger 
• 1 C flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 stick chilled unsalted butter, cut in small cubes
• 1/2 C chopped walnuts 
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a large bowl, mix pears, blueberries, walnuts and lemon juice.  Stir in 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. 

Add fruit to greased 9-inch deep dish pie plate. 

In a food processor, add flour, baking powder, salt and sugars (1/2 cup each white and brown) and pulse for 5 to 10 seconds until flour is mixed. Add butter and pulse for 10 seconds until mixture is coarse.  Pour flour mixture into a separate bowl; mix in egg and 1/2 tsp vanilla by hand.

Drop spoonfuls of dough on top of fruit, but DO NOT spread. Put pie dish on top of cookie sheet; bake for 35 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.

Cool and serve alone or top with vanilla ice cream, frozen yogurt or a whipped topping — Cool Whip® was our choice tonight.

Forgot to mention that NOT only this treat was so easy to make, everyone enjoyed it AND we restrained ourselves  from seconds (this time).

Thanks, neighbors for an excuse to try this first-time recipe.