• Makes: 8 servings
  • Prep: 40 mins
  • Bake: 1 hr
  • Cool: 30 mins

Ingredients

  • 6 medium Bosc, Anjou, and/or Asian pears, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped (6 cups)
  • 1 16 – ounce can whole cranberry sauce
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries or 1/3 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup cornmeal
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup cold butter, cut up
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
  • 2 tablespoons half-and-half, light cream, milk or pear nectar
  • Whipping cream, half-and-half, light cream or vanilla ice cream

Directions

  1. For filling: In a large bowl, combine pears, cranberry sauce, cranberries, brown sugar and the 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice. Transfer filling to a 2- or 2-1/2- quart casserole. Bake, covered, in a 375 degree F oven for 30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, for biscuit topping, in a medium bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, the 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, baking powder and the 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice. Using a pastry blender, cut butter into flour mixture until pieces are pea-size. In a small bowl, combine egg, pumpkin and half-and-half. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture all at once, stirring until just combined.
  3. Remove casserole dish from oven. Spoon the topping into 8 mounds on top of the hot pear mixture. If you like, sprinkle with a little additional granulated sugar.
  4. Bake, uncovered, about 30 minutes more or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center of the biscuit topping comes out clean. Cool for 30 minutes. Serve warm with whipping cream. Makes 8 servings.