Pear & Hazelnut Crumble with Cardamom Caramel Sauce

There's something quietly generous about a crumble — it feeds a crowd, it fills a room with warmth, and it never pretends to be anything other than exactly what it is.
Ripe pears, spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. A rough, oat-and-hazelnut topping that bakes to a perfect golden cluster. And a cardamom caramel sauce that makes the whole thing extraordinary.

Pear Filling

• 7 ripe pears peeled, cored and cut into wedges  
• 50 g demerara sugar 
• 7.5 ml (1½ teaspoons) corn flour  
• 3.75 ml (¾ teaspoon) ground cinnamon  
• 1.25 ml (¼ teaspoon) ground nutmeg  
• a pinch of fine salt 
• 40 g butter  
• 100 ml fresh cream  
• 15 ml (1 tablespoon) lemon juice  

Crumble Topping  

• 150 g cake wheat flour  
• 2.5 ml (½ teaspoon) baking powder  
• 2.5 ml (½ teaspoon) ground cinnamon  
• a pinch of fine salt  
• 100 g whole rolled oats  
• 60 g brown sugar  
• 80 g castor sugar  
• 125 g salted butter, at room temperature  
• 15 ml (1 tablespoon) cold water  
• 50 g hazelnuts, roughly chopped  

Cardamom Caramel Sauce  

• 150 g granulated white sugar  
• 250 ml fresh cream  
• 5 green cardamom pods, husks removed and finely ground  
• 50 g butter  
• a generous pinch sea salt flakes  

Heat the oven to 180 C.  
Butter the base and sides of the Le Creuset Coup Rectangular Dish.  

Arrange the pears in the baking dish. Sprinkle over the demerara sugar, corn flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Dot with butter, then drizzle over the cream and lemon juice. Cover with the lid and bake for 15 minutes.  

For the crumble, place the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, oats, brown sugar and castor sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub through until coarse breadcrumb texture. Drizzle over the water and mix through to form crumbly clusters. Add the hazelnuts and mix to combine.  

Scatter the crumble over the pears. Bake uncovered until the juices are bubbling and golden, about 40-45 minutes.  

To make the caramel sauce, place the sugar in a Le Creuset Signature round casserole over a medium high heat. Without stirring, heat until the sugar is dissolved and turns a warm amber colour, swirling the pot from time to time.  

 Carefully pour the cream into the caramel. Boil for several minutes until any sticky bits are dissolved and the sauce is thickened, about 3-4 minutes.  

 Whisk in the butter and sea salt. Pour into a heatproof jug and set aside.  

 Serve the pear crumble warm, with the caramel sauce and vanilla bean ice cream.