I recently came across a recipe for
rosemary pear crisp. I love rosemary - and the woodsy, pine-sy (is that a word?) scent is
just right for the holidays. Rosemary is one of those great herbs that can do just as well in sweet and savory dishes. The combination of rosemary, lemon, and pear - topped with pepper was just enough to intrigue me - reminiscent of one of my favorite kinds of chocolate: dark chocolate with lemon and pepper. There's just something about that unexpected kick that hooks me immediately.
This delight of this recipe is in the unexpected - pears with a subtle rosemary perfume, just enough rich streusel, topped off with a peppery surprise. To top it off, there's little added sugar, so this is something you can feel good about eating for dessert and breakfast!
The ingredients for this are simple - pears, rosemary, lemon, pepper, and a simple streusel topping. I wanted the pears and rosemary to be the stars of the show, so I modified the recipe slightly, cutting down the amount of streusel sprinkled on top. If you want more streusel, just double the ingredients for it. So without further ado...