Cran Orange Ginger Crisp

Ingredients:

• 1 12-oz package whole cranberries, fresh
• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoons grated orange zest
• 4 Bartlett pears, cubed, skin on
• 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh microplane ginger
• 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
• Vanilla ice cream as an accompaniment if desired

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, heat the cranberries, water, sugar, ginger and orange zest until boiling; cook over medium heat until all of the cranberries "pop" and the mixture is thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in cut pears. Place in bottom of lightly greased pan.

In a bowl blend the brown sugar, the flour, the oats, the salt, the cinnamon, the ginger, the walnuts, and the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture evenly over the cranberry mixture and bake the dessert in the middle of a preheated 375°F oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until it is crisp. (For a crisper topping, after baking the crisp broil it under a preheated broiler for 2 minutes.) Serve the crisp warm with the vanilla ice cream.

Recipe credit: Chef Dani Luzzatti of Bella Lu Catering, Sacramento, CA.