Pears are typically regarded as an autumn fruit until paired with this wholesome Irish custard to top An Orchard Pear Crumble.

I gather D’Anjou or Bartlett pears for this mildly sweet crumble. You may also use apples in conjunction with or in lieu of the pears in this recipe. Bramley apples are especially beautiful for this method. A vintage Saint Patrick’s Day dessert!

Too often, pears are disregarded. They are looked at as an autumn fruit in the States. But not in this recipe, as this is not your average “cake batter” dessert…

I commonly use pears because they are versatile and can be used in any type of dessert that calls for a fresh fruit ingredient. Paired with this wholesome Irish custard, they kiss the palette as a delightful Spring Saint Patrick’s Day dessert.

Think of this recipe as a new look at a sort of traditional Irish apple cake in which the apples are replaced by sweet pears. Grocery stores have made much easier access to MANY pear varieties, so finding what you need for this method should not be hard.

My Most popular Irish Recipes…You Know, for Inspiration!

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LESS IS BEST…where sugar is regarded in this method, that is. This dessert is carried almost solely by sweet honey, warm cardamom and cinnamon, and the seeds from vanilla bean pods.

The sugar fix comes by way of brown sugar and granulated sugar, however both play only supporting roles in the cast of ingredients. Ready to bake?

How This Recipe Came About…

Among my favorite desserts to prepare as an ending to a nice supper, are custards. To me, a custard is a culinary work of art. An outstanding kitchen achievement, and a true testament to caring about food needing to be fabulous. Well, and I made it again last night!

My big box store had vanilla bean pods this week. One sleeve was equal to ten vanilla beans, so into my buggy they went. I felt the price was fair at $14 (US) as vanilla beans generally tend to run higher than this in the traditional grocery. That, and you certainly aren’t getting ten beans!

Steeped in heavy cream with scant sugar over gentle heat, I will have a smooth finish custard in no time. But the pears on the other side of that same store are what prompted a whole bunch of messing around in my kitchen, and ultimately this post.

Do You Have What’s Needed For Irish Custard with An Orchard Pear Crumble? Check The List!

for the Irish Custard

• whole milk
• heavy cream
• two vanilla beans (one for custard, the other for the crumble)
• egg yolks
• granulated sugar
• cornstarch

for the Orchard Pear Crumble

• almonds or almond flour
• quick cooking oatmeal
• light brown sugar
• unsalted butter
• pears, choose from Bosc, D’Anjou, Bartlett, Forelle, or Concorde
• Irish whiskey
• honey
• a lemon
• apple pie spice
• ground cardamom
• ground cinnamon

What Are The Best Pears To Use For Baking?

Oh, how I do love a pear. I use them on my charcuterie boards, in muffins and breads, and poached in fruit stews and compotes.

Last fall, I poached pears in a vanilla bean and Irish whiskey sauce. Plated with vanilla ice cream, I used them to try out a few caramel sauce recipes I’d been meaning to experiment with.

Local farms outfitted me with beautiful Bartletts, but among the favorite features of the dessert was by far the Irish whisky poaching liquid. The recipe I share today is an adaptation of those Irish whiskey poached pears.

To pull off pears in a bake, steer clear of tender flesh pears that easily fall apart when exposed to high heat. For cooks and bakes, pear varieties ideal include the Bosc red pear, red and green D’Anjou pears, Bartlett, Forelle, and Concorde pears.

These varieties hold their shape and flavor extremely well even when cooked at high temperatures. They also tend not to turn brown after being cut.

What Type Of Whiskey Should I Macerate The Pears With?

Irish whiskey, of course. Now before I launch into ‘a whiskey 101,’ let me say that if your preference is to go without whiskey in this recipe, simply omit it.

For those who will macerate using whiskey, you may have executed a step like this in an apple crumble recipe. Mix apples and whiskey in a large bowl and walk away for 30 minutes? THAT step.

In terms of whiskey, any Irish whiskey you’d enjoy drinking will do. Irish whiskeys are distilled three times. Because we here in the US have a massive surplus of used Bourbon barrels, many Irish distilleries purchase to use specifically to age their Irish whiskey.

This gives most Irish whiskeys vanilla, honey, and warm spice flavor profiles in common. And all of those profiles compliment the humble pear PERFECTLY.

How To Make A Pear Crumble?

I begin by peeling, coring, and chopping my pears. Half inch chunks are perfect or even a few a bit larger. Forget the proverbial lemon juice. Here we are tossing with four tablespoons of Irish whiskey.

So, four tablespoons may not seem like much, but have you ever tasted Irish whiskey? To my point, a little whiskey goes a LONG WAY to flavor these pears adequately. Leave them sit for 30 minutes while you work on the topping.

I almost always have almonds on hand for grinding almonds into almond flour. Alternatively, if you have almond flour handy, measure out enough to equal approximately a cup and a quarter.

Combine the ground almonds with some quick cooking oatmeal, light brown sugar, and large chunks of VERY COLD unsalted butter. Personally, I use my fingers to mix oats and everything else together until it resembles peas, but the food processor and a few quick pulses will do the same.

Grab a pretty casserole dish. Use a pat of softened butter to grease the bottom and the sides of the casserole. Be liberal…it’s dessert after all.

And back to those pears which are sufficiently macerated by now…drain about half of the remaining whiskey from them. Hint, hint…there won’t be much liquid left.

Add some sweet honey, lemon juice, apple pie spice, ground cardamom, cinnamon and the seeds scraped from a whole vanilla bean to the macerated pears. Transfer into your prepared baking dish and top with the crumble until everything is evenly covered.

So, I bake until two things happen – I can smell the crumble, and the fruit is bubbling up from beneath the oatmeal topping, anywhere from 35 to 45 minutes. Check things beginning at 35 minutes though so you can prevent the crumble from too heavily browning.

Allow to rest on the counter while you prep the vanilla custard. That’s right, you have to wait!

How To Make Vanilla Custard?

My recommendation is to prepare the custard last. Why? This custard is served warm over the crumble.

This method is as simple as bringing the milk, the cream, and one of the vanilla beans to a gentle simmer over low heat. I like to use a nonstick saucepan for this. Ensure you’ve run a paring knife down the side of the pod exposing all of those tiny little seeds!

Once the cream mixture is good and heated, allow it to cool slightly before removing the pod. Don’t toss that vanilla bean! See my notes in the recipe card for getting the most from vanilla beans.

Whisk the yolks, sugar, and cornstarch together using the tines of a fork until well blended. Temper the yolks by spooning a little of the hot cream mixture into the yolks and whisking vigorously. Do this once more before adding all of the yolk to the cream mixture.

Return the lot to the nonstick saucepan and heat over low heat stirring constantly until thickened, about 12 to 15 minutes. Pour into a pretty pitcher and serve immediately over the Orchard Pear Crumble.

How To Serve Irish Custard with An Orchard Pear Crumble?

I spoon generous portions of the pear crumble into adorable avocado colored bowls and add heaps of the Irish custard atop. No cream cheese frosting, peanut butter sauce, no dark chocolate chip gooey stuff, just a wholesome dessert with ingredients that have been minimally processed.

It’s a nice change. It’s perfect comfort food.

Can Irish Custard with An Orchard Pear Crumble Be Made Ahead?

Yes. And this is quite easy despite the custard needing to be served warm. Always make the Orchard Pair Crumble first and up to 6 hours in advance. It’s easy and then it’s done and out of the way.

When you get to the custard, and if it’ll be some time before you are ready to serve it, pour it into a pitcher and use plastic film to cover the actual surface of the custard.

Place the pitcher in a medium saucepan filled halfway up the sides with water. Heat the saucepan over medium heat until the water is just steamy.

Reduce to a simmer and keep the plastic film in place to keep the custard from forming a skin and hot for up to 2 hours in advance.

If You Like This Recipe…

…you might also like:

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• A Traditional Tiramisu Recipe
• Custard Cake With Autumn Apples
• Salted Burnt Caramel Custard