Roasted Pear & Pecan Crumble

I love autumn! When the air wears a chill and calls you to don your favorite sweater, when summer’s last harvest of fruits and squashes beckon the table with aromatic accents of cinnamon, nutmeg or clove, and a cozy fire in the fireplace draws you closer to the ones you love. Make those moments just a little sweeter with this easy dessert that captures fall perfectly.

Makes 2 desserts

Ingredients

• 1 fresh pear, peeled, cored, and cut into medium-sized cubes
• Sea salt to taste (Maldon sea salt flakes are exquisite to sprinkle on the fruit to enhance its sweetness as well as leaving just a hint of salt on the palate)
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon pecan pieces, lightly toasted
• 2ea Crispy Pecan Shortbread cookies, crumbled, divided for two
• 2-4 oz cups vanilla pudding, ready-to-eat (of course you can make your own pudding, but sometimes quick and easy is the winner!)
• 4 tablespoons caramel sauce (I discovered Coronado Classic Cajeta original goat milk caramel sauce at my local grocery store and fell in love)
• Pan spray (I like coconut oil spray for this dessert)

Method

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. When a drop of water added to the pan sizzles, it's ready. Spray some pan spray into the hot skillet and immediately add the cubed pears.
2. Cook the pears until nicely browned on all sides and tender (about 7-10 minutes), stirring often to prevent any scorching. Add a little more pan spray while cooking if they look too dry. Add the cinnamon and nutmeg and stir to thoroughly coat the pears.
3. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with the flaked sea salt. Allow to cool to room temperature.
4. To assemble the dessert, place a tablespoon of cookie crumbles in the bottom of two dessert dishes along with a sprinkle of pecans.
5. Add the vanilla pudding to each dish and top with equal amounts of the roasted pears and the remaining cookie crumbles and pecans.
6. Top each crumble with about 2 tablespoons of caramel sauce and serve immediately.

Notes

• Even though our delicious cookies are NOT sugar free, I have greatly reduced the sugar content of this decadent dessert by using sugar-free pudding and sugar-free caramel sauce for a not-so-guilty pleasure.
• This super quick and easy dessert is especially nice in autumn when pears are harvested sweet and juicy from your local farmers' market.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 (157g)  Servings Per Recipe: 2
Calories: 180  Calories from Fat: 80

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Contains:  Milk, Egg, Pecan, Coconut