Mini Pear Crisps

*UPDATE – See this post about our new eating habits.(7/10/11)

I love crispy food…..well, food that’s meant to be crispy. Some food isn’t meant to be, but it ends up that way. Use a timer, okay? We’ve looked at a crumble and today we’re meeting our friend Crisp. What’s the difference? Oats. Yep, that’s all. A crisp’s topping is more granola-like and can include coconut or nuts. So, if you’re looking to get your fiber in for the day, go for a crisp over a crumble. My favorite crisp is apple, but Barry likes pears so that’s what I went for with this recipe….and I made them mini. If you want to do a regular sized crisp, just use an 8 inch square pan.

We need flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, pecans, butter, and canned pears. You can use fresh pears, but I think they take way too long to cook. And besides, I like to eat my fresh pears plain. Technically you can use any canned fruit you’d like. I love substitutions!

My husband really loves me…..he bought me these ramekins for Christmas one year. I think he got tired of me whining because I didn’t have any. Whatever works! You’ll need five 6 ounce ramekins for this recipe. I only had four, so I had to add in an older family hand-me-down. Most of my dishes are family hand-me-downs. Yay me! If I’m around, you better hide your dishes. Make sure you spray or butter them so the stuff is easier to clean off later.

Hello lover! I love my slap chop. My nuts weren’t in pieces, so I had to take care of that. Really, I love my Slap Chop……we were meant to be together. It’s so easy to clean. I used to have one of those knock-off ones, but it was hard to clean and I got mad at it. I think I threw it away in a fit of dish washing rage.

Drain your canned fruit and divide it between the five ramekins. You might have to slice up a few of the bigger pieces. I actually had an entire half in my can, so I just cut it up a bit.

Grab a big bowl and put in your flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Give it a little stir. I love just about anything that includes oats and cinnamon.

Melt your butter in the microwave and pour it into your oat mixture. Stir it around a little until it gets nice and combined. I actually used my hands. I use them a lot in the kitchen. Sometimes a spoon just won’t do the job. If you want something done right, use your hands.

Divide this delicious topping between the five cups. I love things that don’t include eggs when I use my hands! Why? Because I can lick my fingers when I’m done without fear of dying later from salmonella poisoning.

Sprinkle the nuts over all the cups. If you don’t like nuts or have an allergy, you can easily leave this out. I didn’t make these for me, so I put the nuts in there. Barry loves nuts in his dessert, but I am not a fan. Just like with pears, I like to eat my nuts plain. Barry and I go well together when it comes to nuts…..not to mention that we both ARE nuts. He likes Brazil nuts and I hate them…..and I like hazelnuts and he doesn’t. However, we do fight over the almonds….and it can get pretty nasty.

Pop those suckers in to the oven and bake them until they get brown and start to bubble. You want the top nice and…………….CRISPY! Bet you never saw that coming.  These little treats will go fast. Barry groaned through each one he ate. I like making my man happy.