Pear and Dried Cherry Scrunch

Yield: 6-8 servings

Scrunch:
8 firm, ripe pears (about 4 pounds), peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch dice
1 cup dried sour cherries (about 4 ounces)
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3 Tbsp fresh orange juice
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp cinnamon
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking oatmeal
1 cup chopped walnuts (4 ounces)
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 stick (8 Tbsp) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Crème Fraiche, for serving

Preheat oven to 350° and butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

In a large mixing bowl, toss the pears with the dried cherries, brown sugar, orange and lemon juices, lemon zest and cinnamon. Transfer the fruit to the prepared dish, making sure that the cherries are evenly distributed. Dot with the butter.

In a medium size bowl, combine the flour, oatmeal, walnuts, brown sugar and butter. Rub the mixture between your fingers to form large crumbs. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit, lightly pressing it down. Bake for about 50 minutes or until the fruit is bubbling and tender when pierced and the top is crisp and browned. (If after 40 minutes or so the top looks nicely browned, cover loosely with foil to finish cooking.)

Let the scrunch rest uncovered for at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm with crème fraiche.

Pair with Ferrari-Carano Eldorado Noir.