APPLE AND PEAR CRISP with oatmeal and walnuts

     Discovered a bag of pears I purchased a while ago.  Had to do something with them quickly.  Something that wouldn't require them to be perfect "ripe, yet firm" pears.  Something I could combine with ingredients I had at home.  No trip to the grocery store was planned that day.
     This Apple and Pear Crisp with Oatmeal and Walnuts is the concoction that finally came out of my oven.  It is juicy; combine a couple teaspoons of arrowroot with the fresh fruit before baking if you want those liquids to thicken up a bit.  I myself, am fine with juicy beneath the crisp topping, and... a lot of whipped heavy cream.

                                 +  Apple and Pear Crisp +

Crisp:
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup (or more) chopped walnuts
Filling:
• 3 tart apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon diced, crystalized ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/3 cup dried cherries
• 2 teaspoons arrowroot, optional

 
PREHEAT OVEN TO 350˚F.
1.  Butter 4 1-cup ramekins (can be made in a single baking dish)
2.  Make the crisp:  Combine the flour and brown sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse.  Add the cold butter and pulse again until butter is the size of peas.  Put this mixture into a bowl; stir in the oats and walnuts.  Using your fingers, squeeze together the ingredients until you have a mass of clumps.  Set aside.
3. In another bowl, gently fold together the apples, pears, lemon juice, and sugar.  Add the ginger, cinnamon and dried cherries, and again, fold gently.  Stir in 2 teaspoons arrowroot if you want to thicken the juices.  Spoon the fruit filling into the individual buttered ramekins or the single buttered baking dish.  Top with the oatmeal-walnut crisp.
4.  Place the crisp on the middle rack of the preheated oven.  Bake for approximately 35 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown.  Cool slightly and top with whipped, heavy cream or serve with vanilla bean ice cream.

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