Somehow 2018 is already coming to a close and it's Christmas Eve.
And while we're all cozying up with our families and eating our fill of festive treats, let me share one recipe you definitely don't have but absolutely NEED.
This recipe is very special -- it's based off of my GREAT-grandmother's apple slices recipe. Her apple slices were a thing of beauty and my Nana and my Mother have been baking trays of these delicious slices my entire life.
So this year I've morphed the recipe into the perfect Christmas tray bake. Think of this as a beautiful pear crumble with tart cranberries. And something shockingly easy to whip up. It's not terribly heavy either and makes for such a great change from all the Christmas cookies most people bake this time of year.
Just be sure to give it time to cool before you slice it, otherwise you'll make quite the Christmas mess...
Pear & Cranberry Slices for Christmas
Yields 12 Slices
3/4 Cup Shortening*
2 Cups Flour
1/2 Cup Milk
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
4 - 5 Large Pears
1 Handful Cranberries, Rinsed
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Tbsp Flour
For the Crumb:
1/4 Lb. Butter (1 Stick), Melted
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Flour
Make the Base:
Combine the first four ingredients in a bowl. Press firmly into a cookie sheet with sides.
Prep the Pears:
Skin, core and slice the pears. Toss with 1/2 Cup Sugar and 1 Tbsp Flour (omit this if you're pears are drier). Arrange on top of the base and sprinkle cranberries over the pears randomly.
Make the Crumb:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Sprinkle over the pears.
Bake:
Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour, rotating every 15 minutes. Once baked, remove and cool thoroughly before decorating with powdered sugar, buttercream frosting, or any other topping you'd like to make your bake more festive.
*Be sure to use Crisco. One year I tried to be clever and use natural shortening from Whole Foods and my base crisped up in a very inedible way. Now I only use Crisco in my great-grandmother's recipes.
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