By Niki Partsch

In 2022, we celebrated the Kerikeri Pear Tree’s entry in the Aotearoa Tree of the Year competition with a pear and apple crumble that drew on celebrated recipes from the late nineteenth century.

The Kerikeri Pear Tree is a Williams bon Chrétien (good Christian) pear and is the sole survivor of 185 fruit trees and grape vines that were planted by Rev. John Butler at Kerikeri Mission Station in 1819.

Crumble recipes, including apple, pear and rhubarb, emerge in New Zealand cookbooks from the 1890s, following the rise of orchards on quarter acre sections. Crumbles were often referred to as 'crisps' and were found alongside recipes for fruit sponge puddings.

While there are a number of crumble variations, it’s not until the First World War that oats appear as an alternative topping to breadcrumbs, with cornflakes becoming popular from the 1960s.

Pear and apple crumble recipe:

Ingredients:

Pears: 2 large

Apples: 2 large

Soft brown sugar: 1 Cup

Flour: 1 Cup

Mixed spice or cinnamon: ½ tsp

Butter: 90g (plus 5-10g of grated butter)

Oats or cornflakes: ½ Cup

Preparation:

Step 1

Peel, core and quarter the pears and apples. Put them in a pot and add two cups of water. Bring to the boil then turn the heat down and cook until soft.

Step 2

In a bowl add the flour, brown sugar and 90g of butter. Work the butter into the flour and sugar with your hands until you have an even crumble mix, then add the cornflakes or oats and work them gently into the crumble. 

Step 3

When the pears and apples are soft, taste them. Add some sugar if they are too tart. Simmer until the sugar is absorbed. Lightly mash the bigger pear and apple pieces with a fork.

Step 4

Transfer the hot pear and apple mix to a shallow baking dish. Cover with the crumble mix and spice. Sprinkle grated butter curls on top.

Step 5

Bake for 40 minutes at 180 C and serve warm with vanilla ice cream, cream or yoghurt. 

Enjoy!