In the Leishman Center we emphasize cooking with the seasons while also encouraging freezing or canning seasonal fruits for winter enjoyment.
Fruit crisps are a great way to use these delicious fruits. Crisps are quick to prepare and great to satisfy the after dinner sweet craving while suitable for breakfast or snacks.
We developed this simple blueprint to create crisps all year long.
Experiment with different fruits for the filling and various grains
in the crumbly topping. During the summer season try whole wheat pastry flour, oats, slivered almonds, cinnamon, ginger, butter and brown sugar and use peaches or blueberries with cinnamon and orange zest for the filling. When you’re making a crisp top in the fall use whole wheat flour, oats, walnuts, cinnamon, butter and maple syrup. For the filling use apples, lemon juice, honey and cinnamon.
Crisp Top
- 1/3 cup flour – experiment with: whole wheat; gluten free baking blend, oat flour,
each flour you select will provide a different texture and nutritional profile - ¾ cup rolled oats
- ½ cup nuts – chopped or slivered
- 3 tablespoons melted fat or oil – choose from: butter, coconut oil, walnut oil, light tasting olive oil
- ¼ cup sweetener – choose from: honey, maple syrup or your favorite granulated sugar
- To assemble, combine all ingredients.
- Blend well and set aside.
Fruit Filling
- 2 – 3 pounds fruit, cored, pitted and cut into bite-sized pieces or use frozen
- 1/3 cup sweet – select one: honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, natural granulated sugar, coconut sugar
- 1½ teaspoon spice – cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice blend or other favorite spice combinations
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or almond extract (great with cherries)
- Preheat oven to 375o
- Prepare fruit as directed. If frozen, use from frozen state. Mix with sweetener, spices, salt and vanilla. Mix well. If fruit is very juicy stir in 1 tablespoon tapioca or arrowroot powder.
- Pour fruit into lightly oiled 8 x 8 pan.
- Crumble topping evenly over the fruit mixture.
- Bake 40 minutes until fruit is tender and topping is browned.
