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Posts tagged ‘crisp’

Jul 31

23 Comments

a crisp of stone fruits

.

peaches, nectarines,

apricots, cherries, plums

sublime in their ecstasy dancing,

sweating sweet sunny juices of summer

. .

What is it about stone fruits that makes them so amiable and easy-going? Such contented things. Never any squabbling. Never an ego out of control. No matter which of them is in the bunch, it’s in all ways pure sweet harmony.

I’ve made this crisp  in many combinations and it always tastes … well, sort of perfect. This time it was with a crowd of them all – some just slightly under-ripe, holding their shape while adding a bit of tartness, other dripping their ripe sweet juices over the cutting board onto the counter. The addition of bing cherries (though no more than a good fragrant handful) colored the entire dish with the blush of magenta. Here is a dessert, baked but simple, without secrets or special formulas, and full of summer’s freshness and freedoms.

Crisp Topping

  • 3 T. unsalted butter, broken into several pieces  (see NOTE)
  • 3 T. walnut oil
  • ½ to ¾ cup brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

NOTE: instead of using a combination of butter and walnut oil, you could simply use 6 T. butter. Or all walnut oil.  Or 3 T. butter & 3 T. coconut oil. Such freedom.

Either using your fingers and kneading together the ingredients or using the paddle attachment of your mixer, work the ingredients together until you have a mixture resembling coarse crumbs. Set aside.

The following recipe will fill a 2½-quart gratin dish. On this occasion, I separated the recipe into 3 separate baking dishes, baking them all together, but only serving one. The others will be gently reheated for serving later – perhaps even for some special breakfast, served alongside cold Greek yogurt drizzled in honey.

A Crisp of Assorted Stone Fruits

  • 3 pounds (about 1.5 kg) assorted stone fruits
  • ¼ cup sugar (nice with vanilla bean scented sugar if you have it)
  • ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¾ teaspoon allspice
  • ½ teaspoon coriander
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

When selecting fruits, a combination of ripe and slightly under-ripe fruits work to produce the most balanced flavors.

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

Wash fruit, remove stones and pits. Cut cherries in halves, all other fruits in approximately ½-inch slices. Mix the sugar with all the spices and then sprinkle over the fruit. Toss together and tumble into buttered baking dish (or dishes) of your choice. ( See below for baking times.)

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May 7

5 Comments

Ani’s Apple Crisp –

Ingredients Topping  

  • 3 T. unsalted butter, broken into several pieces  
  • 3 T. walnut oil  
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour  
  • 1/2 c. rolled oats (not quick-cooking)  
  • 1 handful of walnuts, chopped  
  • 1/2 t. salt  
  • 1/2 t. freshly grated nutmeg  
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Ingredients –  Filling

  • Approximately 2 pounds of apples (see note)
  • 1/2 cup or so of fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 3 T. all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar (I prefer brown, but granulated is fine)
  • ground cinnamon (1 t. or to taste)

NOTE:  A combination of Fuji, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious and maybe one other of your choice makes for the most interesting and tasty apple dessert.  About 4 medium apples should do.  Though there’s lots of leeway here, it’s essential to have one tart apple (such as the Granny Smith) for flavor.


Preparing the Topping:  Using your fingers, work the butter with the sugar, flour, oats and spices so that each piece is coated and you have a coarse, crumbly mixture.  Stir in the walnut oil and add chopped walnuts, incorporating well.  (Variation made with all butter: if you haven’t any walnut oil and the urge strikes you to make this dessert with what’s on hand, you can substitute 6 T. butter.  But walnut oil is delicious in certain salad dressings too and really nice to have around.  Keep refrigerated.)

The Filling:  Peel and core the apples and cut into bite-size pieces.  Mix with cranberries, flour, sugar and spices.  Pour into a 2-inch high baking dish, and cover with the crisp topping.

Baking: Bake at 375° F until the fruit is bubbly and thickened around the edges and the crisp topping is browned.  (Depending on your baking dish and the variability of ovens, this may take up to an hour, but check sooner.  If it begins to brown too much before its edges get bubbly, cover with aluminum foil for the duration.)

Served warm is best.  But even cold for breakfast, with plain or vanilla yogurt, is good!  (In a future installment, I’ll share my recipe for Vanilla Cardamom Ice-Cream, a rather divine accompaniment to a simple, homey dessert.)

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