Cranberry-Pear Crumble Bars

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Heat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9x9-inch baking dish with parchment paper.

2. Step 2

   Prepare filling: Peel, core and chop the pears into ½-inch pieces. You should have about 2½ cups of chopped pears. Add pears, cranberries, sugar and orange juice to a heavy-bottomed skillet or saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until pears soften, cranberries burst, and juices are thickened and jammy, 7 to 10 minutes. Add vanilla, orange zest and fresh ginger and stir to combine. Remove from heat and let cool while you prepare the crust.

3. Step 3

   Prepare crust and crumble: In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, almond flour, oats and salt. Stir to combine. Add butter and almond extract, and stir until crumbs are well moistened.

4. Step 4

   Reserve about 2½ cups/360 grams of the mixture for the topping. Pour remaining crumbs into prepared dish and press them into an even layer. Bake the crust until golden, 10 to 15 minutes.

5. Step 5

   Spoon filling (it’s O.K. if it’s still warm) evenly over the hot crust, top with reserved crumbs, and return pan to oven. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Let the bars cool slightly before cutting and serving.