Cranberry Pear Crumbles

A burst of literary birthdays 

"She is too fond of books, and it has addled her brain."

-Louisa May Alcott

Louisa May Alcott was often inspired by familiar elements when writing her novels. The characters in "Little Women" are recognizably drawn from family members and friends. It was originally published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869. The novel follows the lives of four sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March—detailing their passage from childhood to womanhood, and is loosely based on the author and her three sisters. It falls into the genre of coming of age. Louisa shares the same birthday as her father, Bronson Alcott.

C.S. Lewis was a British novelist, scholar, writer of pro-Christian texts and poet but best known for the Chronicles of Narnia series, seven volumes of stories about young children who find entry to another world through an old wardrobe.

Cranberry Pear Crumbles

Cook's Notes: Fresh cranberries work the best for this recipe. If using frozen, rinse and dry them before using. Recipe adapted from bakeorbreak.com serves 4 (8 oz. capacity ramekins) or serves 6 made in an 8 x8 pan.

Topping Ingredients:

• ¼ cup flour 
• 1/3 cup old fashioned rolled oats or quick rolled oats 
• ¼ cup brown sugar 
• 2 tsp. Saigon cinnamon 
• Pinch of salt 
• ¼ cup butter, cold cut into ½ inch cubes 

Filling Ingredients:

• 3 pears, firm baking kind e.g. Bosc or Anjou (about 3 cups) 
• 1 cup fresh cranberries 
• 1/3 cup sugar 
• 2 TB. cornstarch 
• 2 tsp. Saigon cinnamon 
• ½ tsp. fresh lemon juice 

Topping Directions:

• Pulse topping ingredients in a food processor 5 times or until butter is pea sized or use a pastry blender. 
• Refrigerate topping while making the filling. 

Filling Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
• Combine pears, cranberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and cinnamon in a large bowl. 
• Divide filling evenly among 4 ramekins or place in an 8 x 8 baking dish. 
• Sprinkle topping mixture over each or over baking dish. 
• Bake 25 minutes or until topping has browned and the filing is bubbly. 
  
• Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.