Josettes pear crumble

It was in 2023 when, while working on a book for Maison Courvoisier, I got a hold of the late Josette's cookbook and her cooking notes. The handwritten book was full of notes, scribbled just so that she would remember the measurements but with full knowledge that she knew the rest. It took some time for me to understand her French writing and her ways of cooking, yet every time I did succeed in making her recipe, it was perfect. It was when I imagined how she made this for her husband, Michel, and her guests at their house not far from Jarnac. I imagined how they sat outside on the terrace in the middle of the vineyard and distillery and enjoyed their food. I imagined how, on other days, she served that inside the house and how, while listening to the radio, they ate. I imagined so much that I almost felt like I was there, and when I was there, talking to Michel, I felt as if it all had come true. So, here is one of those recipes that she wrote so nicely and is so perfect. 

175 g salted butter (demi-sel)
180 g golden caster sugar
210 g all-purpose wheat flour
vanilla powder, and a bit of cardamom - my addition
4 medium-sized pears, cleaned and cut into pieces


Heat the oven to 180 degrees. Butter a 23-25 cm baking dish. Add the pears. 

In a bowl, mix butter with sugar, flour, and spices, if using, to obtain a crumble-like consistency. Sprinkle over pears, place in the oven (in the middle), and bake for 25-30 minutes until the crumble is golden and the pears are cooked. Take it out and let it cool to room temperature, then serve—either like it is or with vanilla sauce, creme fraiche, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.