Maple-roasted pears with pecans and oat crumble

Serves - 4

You’ll need

• 4 firm ripe pears
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp melted vegan block butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• Pinch of sea salt
• 2 tbsp water

For the pecan and oat crumble
• 75g rolled oats
• 50g plain flour
• 50g pecans, roughly chopped
• 50g soft light brown sugar
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 60g cold vegan block butter, cut into small cubes
• Pinch of sea salt

To serve, optional
• Vegan vanilla ice cream
• Dairy-free yoghurt or crème fraîche
• A little extra maple syrup

Method

1. Get the pears ready

Heat the oven to 190°C fan. Peel the pears, cut them in half lengthways and carefully scoop out the cores with a teaspoon or melon baller.

Arrange them cut-side up in a baking dish that holds them reasonably snugly. Too much empty space and the roasting juices will spend more time evaporating than doing anything helpful.

2. Add the maple glaze

Mix the maple syrup with the melted vegan butter, vanilla, cinnamon and a small pinch of salt. Spoon the mixture generously over the pears, making sure some settles into the hollow where the cores once were.

Pour the water into the bottom of the dish, then turn the pears cut-side down. Roast for 15 minutes while you make the crumble.

3. Make the crumble

Put the oats, flour, pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt into a bowl. Add the cold vegan butter and rub it into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until you have a mixture of fine crumbs and larger buttery clumps.

Do not make it too uniform. A good crumble needs little crisp bits, larger golden pieces and just enough disorder to keep things interesting.

4. Turn the pears

Take the pears out of the oven and carefully turn them cut-side up. Spoon over some of the maple cooking juices from the bottom of the dish.

Pile the oat crumble over and around the pears, pressing a little into the hollow of each one without packing it down too firmly.

5. Roast until golden

Return the dish to the oven and roast for another 20–25 minutes until the pears are tender, the edges are caramelised and the crumble is crisp and golden.

Check the pears with the point of a knife. It should slide in easily, though the fruit should still be holding its shape rather than quietly becoming compote underneath the topping.

6. Let everything settle

Leave the pears to stand for 5 minutes after they come out of the oven. This gives the maple juices a chance to thicken slightly and means nobody burns their mouth through unnecessary enthusiasm.

7. Serve

Serve two pear halves per person with plenty of the pecan and oat crumble and the warm maple juices spooned over the top.

Add a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream or a spoonful of dairy-free yoghurt if you like. The contrast between cold creaminess, warm fruit and crisp crumble is very difficult to improve upon.

A couple of helpful notes
- Choose pears that are ripe but still firm. Very soft fruit can collapse before the crumble has had time to become properly golden.
- Check that the vegan butter and oats you use are suitable for your dietary requirements, particularly where cross-contamination is a concern.
- The crumble mixture can be prepared a day ahead and kept covered in the fridge until needed.