- 2 1/4 pounds firm but ripe Anjou, Bosc, or Comice pears, peeled, cored, cut into 3/4-inch dice
- 1/2 cup dried tart cherries
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped crystallized ginger
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1/3 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chilled buttermilk
- Vanilla ice cream
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter four 1 1/4-cup custard cups or soufflé dishes; place on rimmed baking sheet. Combine first 5 ingredients in large bowl; toss to coat. Divide filling among prepared custard cups. Dot with 2 tablespoons butter. Bake until filling is hot and bubbling around edges, about 20 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.
- Combine sugar and ginger in processor; blend until ginger is finely chopped. Transfer 1 tablespoon sugar-ginger mixture to small bowl; reserve. Add flour, baking soda, and salt to remaining sugar-ginger mixture in processor; blend 20 seconds. Add butter; using on/off turns, process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer to medium bowl. Mix in chocolate chips, then buttermilk (mixture will be very moist).
- Drop topping by heaping tablespoonfuls onto filling in custard cups (about 4 very generous tablespoons for each); sprinkle with reserved 1 tablespoon sugar-ginger mixture. Bake until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbling thickly, about 20 minutes. Cool 20 minutes. Serve cobblers with ice cream.