Fig and Pear Crumble with Meringue Topping

If you're looking for an extra special winter dessert, you're going to love this Fig and Pear Crumble. The skillet crumble is topped with grilled fig and pear coulis, chopped fruit, cardamom cream, and fluffy Swiss meringue.

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This Fig and Pear Crumble is a deconstructed no-bake dessert, make with layers of intense flavors. It's perfect for a dinner party or special occasion.

This stunning dessert was created as part of the TUI World Cook competition, where 16 contestants from all around the world meet in holiday destinations to make country-specific challenges. And it's all filmed for a Prime Video TV series so you can watch how they get on!

TUI got in touch and asked me to recreate my favorite entry from The World Cook here just for all of you, so you can try it at home yourselves.

Although there were plenty of mouth-watering entries, I wanted to share this stunning Fig and Pear Crumble.

It was cooked for the Amsterdam stage of the competition and the chef called it Om Het Hoofd Te Laten Tollen, which translates from Dutch to 'To Spin the Head'. And let me tell you, your head will be spinning once you try this flavor-packed crumble!

A crumble topping is cooked on the stovetop, then served topped with cardamom-infused whipped cream, grilled pear and fig coulis, fresh chopped figs and pears, and a homemade Swiss meringue topping that's then cooked until beautifully golden.

Each element brings a wonderful taste and texture to the final dessert.

Why you'll love this recipe

• It's a deconstructed winter fig and pear crumble that will impress any dinner party guests.
• You can make most of it ahead of time, and then just assemble it before serving.
• The layers of flavors and textures make this an extra-special version of crumble.
• It's a no-bake dessert recipe.
• This recipe was created by a chef for the TUI The World Cook competition.

What is The World Cook Competition?

The World Cook is a 7-part TV cooking competition presented by the much-loved presenter Emma Willis and Fred Sirieix, the former maître d' of First Dates.

In this exciting series, 16 contestants from all over the world meet in TUI's incredible holiday destinations, such as Austria, Majorca, and Italy, where they are challenged to create country-specific dishes.

The winner will be crowned 'The World Cook' during the grand final at one of TUI's flagship TUI BLUE resorts in Mexico!

Perhaps it will be the chef who created this sumptuous fig and pear crumble!

The World Cook is available to watch now on Prime Video.

Book your next holiday with TUI.

Ingredients

For the pan-fried crumble:
Flour - you need plain, all-purpose flour for the crumble base.
Brown sugar - this adds a rich sweetness to the crumble.
Butter - use cold cubed butter to rub into the flour and sugar.

For the fig and pear coulis:
Figs - fresh ripe figs add a luxurious flavor to the coulis.
Pears - ensure your pears are ripe and juicy.
Honey - using honey to sweeten the pureed grilled fruit coulis adds a richer flavor than sugar.

For the cardamom cream:
Double cream - also called heavy cream. You can use whipping cream too.
Caster sugar - to lightly sweeten the fragrant whipped cream.
Ground cardamom - use store bought ground cardamom, or grind your own from pods in a mortar and pestle.

For the Swiss meringue:
Egg whites - ensure there are no yolks in the whites.
Caster sugar - for sweetness and structure to the meringue topping.

See the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Although this fig and pear crumble recipe has lots of elements, when you break them down they're all straightforward. To make it even easier, I've taken step-by-step photos every step of the way.

Crumble

Make the crumble: Add the flour to a medium bowl and stir in the brown sugar. Cut the cold butter into cubes and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until it makes a sandy breadcrumb texture.

Toast the crumble: Add the mixture to a large dry (no oil) frying pan over a medium heat and cook, stirring often, until the crumble mixture becomes golden brown. Set aside to cool.

Coulis

For the fig and pear coulis: Set aside 1 pear and 1 fig. For the remaining pears, use a corer to remove and discard the core and stem, then halve or quarter the pears.  Rub the pears and the figs with honey to coat.

Grill the figs and pears: Heat a grill pan over a high heat, then add the honey-coated pears and figs and grill, turning often, until the skins are caramelized and they are soft inside.

Create the coulis: Add the remaining honey and ¼ cup of water (or more if necessary) and blend the cooked figs and pears with a hand held immersion blender until smooth. Press them through a fine mesh sieve over a bowl to create a smooth coulis. Discard the crushed fruit from the sieve and set the coulis in the bowl aside to cool.

Cream

Make the cardamom cream: Add the cream, sugar, and cardamom to a bowl and beat until thick. Set aside.

Swiss Meringue

For the Swiss meringue: Add the egg whites and sugar to a clean heatproof bowl and whisk to combine.

Add a few inches of water to a pot and bring it to a simmer. Set the mixing bowl of egg whites over the simmering water (make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water).

Continuously gently stir the egg white and sugar mixture until the sugar has dissolved and the egg whites are warm. This should take about 5 minutes.

TIP: Test it with a food thermometer reaching 160F, or by rubbing a little of the warm egg white between your fingers to ensure it isn’t at all gritty. Remove the bowl from the pot of water.

Whisk with a stand mixer or electric mixer until thick, about 7 minutes, until it forms a glossy meringue with stiff peaks. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large tip.

Assemble the fig and pear crumble: Chop the remaining pear and fig into small pieces.

Divide everything between 6 plates. Add the crumble mixture, and top with whipped cream, coulis, and chopped fruits. Finally, pipe dollops of the meringue.

Use a cook’s blowtorch, or place under the grill/broiler briefly to cook and lightly brown the meringue topping.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ If you love this recipe, please leave a five-star rating and review in the comments below! And if you make any modifications, let us know how it went so that we can all benefit from your experience. Happy cooking!

📖 Recipe

Fig and Pear Crumble with Meringue Topping

Kate Hackworthy | Veggie Desserts

In this deconstructed Fig and Pear Crumble, the crumble is topped with grilled fig and pear coulis, fruit, cardamom cream, and Swiss meringue.

5 from 7 votes

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Prep Time 1 hr

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 1 hr 15 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Dutch

Servings 6

Calories 541 kcal

Equipment

• Medium mixing bowl
• Medium frying pan
• Apple corer
• Grill pan
• Hand held immersion blender
• Fine mesh sieve
• Electric whisk or stand mixer
• Piping bag with large tip inserted
• Cook’s blowtorch

Ingredients

 

For the crumble:

• 100 g plain flour all purpose, ¾ cup
• 65 g brown sugar ⅓ cup
• 50 g butter cold & cubed (¼ cup)

For the fig and pear coulis:

• 250 g figs 9 ounces
• 3 ripe pears
• 3 tablespoons honey divided

For the cardamom cream:

• 250 ml double cream heavy cream, 1 cup
• 1 teaspoon caster sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom

For the meringue:

• 3 egg whites
• 175 g caster sugar ¾ cup

Instructions

 

For the crumble:

• Add the flour to a medium bowl and stir in the brown sugar. Cut the cold butter into cubes and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until it makes a sandy breadcrumb texture.
• Add the mixture to a large dry (no oil) frying pan over a medium heat and toast, stirring often, for about 5 minutes, until the crumble mixture becomes golden brown. Set aside to cool.

For the Fig and Pear Coulis

• Set aside 1 pear and 1 fig.
• For the remaining pears, use a corer to remove and discard the core and stem, then halve or quarter the pears. Rub the cored pears and the figs with 1 tablespoon of the honey to coat.
• Heat a grill pan over a high heat, then add the honey-coated pears and figs and grill for about 7 minutes, turning often, until the skins are caramelized and they are soft inside.
• Blend the cooked figs and pears with the remaining honey and ¼ cup of water with a hand held immersion blender until smooth, then press them through a fine mesh sieve over a bowl to create a smooth coulis. Set aside to cool.

For the cardamom cream:

• Add the cream, sugar, and cardamom to a bowl and beat until thick. Set aside.

For the Swiss meringue:

• Add the egg whites and sugar to a clean heatproof bowl and whisk to combine.
• Add a few inches of water to a pot and bring it to a simmer. Set the mixing bowl of egg whites over the simmering water (make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water).
• Continuously gently stir the egg white and sugar mixture until the sugar has dissolved and the egg whites are warm. This should take about 5 minutes.

  TIP: Test it with a food thermometer reaching 160F, or by rubbing a little of the warm egg white between your fingers to ensure it isn’t at all gritty.

  Remove the bowl from the pot of water.
• Whisk with a stand mixer or electric mixer until thick, about 7 minutes, until it forms a glossy meringue with stiff peaks. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large tip.

To assemble:

• Chop the remaining pear and fig into small pieces.
• Divide everything between 6 plates. Add the crumble mixture, top with whipped cream, coulis, and chopped fruits. Finally, pipe dollops of the meringue.
• Use a cook’s blowtorch, or place under the grill/broiler briefly to lightly brown the meringue topping.

Notes

The crumble, coulis, and cream can all be made a day before. For best results, make the Swiss meringue the same day as assembling.

For the skillet crumble:

Watch the crumble mixture in the frying pan, as it can overcook quickly. You want it lightly golden and fragrant, but not dark. Stir it often to ensure it doesn't scorch.

For the meringue:

• Ensure your bowl and beaters are very clean before beating the egg whites. Any grease at all can stop them from forming peaks.
• Make sure that there are no egg yolks in the egg whites.
• Use a stand mixer or electric hand mixer to beat the egg whites.

Nutrition

Calories: 541kcalCarbohydrates: 85gProtein: 5gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 95mgPotassium: 306mgFiber: 4gSugar: 66gVitamin A: 906IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 66mgIron: 1mg

The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.

Tried this recipe?Mention @kateveggiedesserts or tag #veggiedesserts! I love seeing your recreations.

AD - This post is in conjunction with TUI but all thoughts are my own.