With lusciously tender pears baked until bubbly in a thick brown sugary syrup and a soft-baked snickerdoodle crust, this Pear Snickerdoodle Cobbler is fall comfort at its finest!
Aside from the perfect weather, stunningly beautiful changing leaves, crisp cool air, and holiday anticipation, what I love about autumn is the flavors it has to offer. Pumpkin, caramel, apple, CARAMEL APPLE, cinnamon, maple, pear, butterscotch…I could never tire of any of these flavors. In fact, if fall could last for two seasons instead of just one, I’d be perfectly happy with that!
One fall flavor that I’ve been sleeping on is pear. It’s not nearly as celebrated as apple, and it deserves so much more recognition. So in order to remedy this matter, I decided to bake up a warm and deliciously comforting pear cobbler with the most amazing snickerdoodle cookie crust…
What You’ll Love About This Cobbler
Fresh Seasonal Pears: Fresh, juicy pears are spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice to enhance their sweetness. When baked, they become soft and supple, almost as though they melt in your mouth.
Snickerdoodle Cookie Crust: Unlike traditional cobblers which are made with a plain ol’ biscuit crust, this cobbler is topped with a giant snickerdoodle. If that’s not enticing, I don’t know what is.
Two Fall Favorites in One: With this dessert, you not only get the most luscious pear cobbler, but you also get a thick and fluffy snickerdoodle cookie!
What are the best pears to use?
First and foremost, choose pears that are firm, yet have a slight give when pressed gently near the stem. Make sure there aren’t any soft spots or bruises, which indicate that the pear is overripe. Pears that are soft or too ripe will become watery or mushy during the baking process. On the flip side, pears that are hard or not ripe enough will end up hard or crunchy. If your pears are hard, stick them in a paper bag and let them sit for 1-2 days, so that they ripen slightly. Don’t let them sit too long, or they’ll be too soft. You’ll need about 4 large pears for this cobbler, but I recommend getting 5 just in case the pears develop any soft spots.
As far as variety goes, I recommend Bartlett, Bosc, or Anjou (both green and red). All of these offer a firm texture and dense structure, which allows them to hold their shape while baking. I would avoid Comice pears since they tend to be softer and juicier.
Tips for Making the Best Pear Cobbler
Peel the pears for a smoother texture: Regardless of the type of pear you choose, I highly recommend peeling them. Unpeeled pears do provide a nice rustic look, however the skin can become tough and fibrous while baking. Peeling the pears results in a filling that’s lusciously smooth.
Slice the pears thin: Instead of cutting pears into chunks, I prefer to slice them thinly. You’ll want to aim for 1/4-inch-thick slices. Try to slice the pears as uniformly as possible to ensure that they all bake evenly.
Infuse pears with warm spices: In order to experience the full flavor potential of pears, it’s essential to infuse the pears with a few warm spices. Cinnamon is always a must, but I also like to add a dash of allspice and nutmeg. These complementary spices pair beautifully with the subtle sweetness of pears.
Thicken with cornstarch: My thickener of choice is almost always cornstarch. It results in a filling that’s both translucent and glossy. Cornstarch also has double the thickening power of flour, so you need a lot less of it. I’d also like to add that cornstarch is largely flavorless compared to flour, so you don’t have to worry about any starchy flavor or gluey texture.
Add a little brown butter: Even though it’s only three tablespoons, adding a little browned butter to the cobbler creates a richer, nuttier profile. And honestly, when is it ever a bad idea to add brown butter??
Pre-cook the filling: When it comes to apple or pear desserts, there’s nothing worse than undercooked fruit. So in order to ensure that this never occurs, I pre-cook the pears. Not only are you able to give the pears a little head-start in the cooking process, but you also don’t risk over-baking or burning the snickerdoodle crust.
Let it rest: As with all of my crisp, cobbler, and fruit pie recipes, I always recommend letting it rest before digging in. Just allowing the cobbler to sit for 20 minutes will allow the filling to set, while also preventing a runny consistency. Don’t worry, it’ll still be plenty warm by the time you scoop it up!
Pear Snickerdoodle Cobbler
Ingredients
Snickerdoodle Cookie Crust:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 3 Tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Cinnamon-Sugar:
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Pear Filling:
- 2 ½ pounds pears (peeled, cored, and sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices)*
- 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Make the Cookie Crust:
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add both sugars and continue beating on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg, and beat just until combined. Add the milk and vanilla and beat on medium-high speed until fully incorporated.
- Dump in the flour mixture and beat on low just until combined, about 1 minute. Wrap dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until it's less sticky, and easier to handle.
Make the Cinnamon-Sugar:
- In a small bowl, stir the sugar and cinnamon together.
Make the Filling:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Place the sliced pears into a large mixing bowl and toss with the lemon juice.
- In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, cornstarch, spices, and salt. Add this mixture to the pears, and stir to coat evenly.
- Place the butter in a large pot, and melt over medium-low heat. As the butter melts, it’ll start to foam, then turn a clear golden color. Continue to stir the butter, scraping up any browned specks from the bottom of the pan as it starts to brown. It should have a nutty aroma. Once browned and nutty, add the pear mixture.
- Turn the heat up to medium-high, stirring the pears occasionally. After about 10-15 minutes, the pears will have softened slightly, and the juices will have thickened.
- Transfer the filling to an 8-inch square baking dish. Use greased hands to place flattened pieces of the snickerdoodle dough evenly over the filling. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar evenly on top.
- Tent a piece of tin foil over the top of the cobbler. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the juices are bubbling around the edges.
- Allow cobbler to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Notes