Fall Fruit Crisp
(courtesy of Daniel Carter, executive chef of Northstar Tavern 6330′ and Banquets, in Truckee)
“If you find yourself with a lot of fruit you’re just not sure what to do with,” he says “just put it all in an oven-safe dish and make a crisp. Apples, pears, berries, pumpkins, quinces, and persimmons all are great baked into crisps!”
Fruit (apples, pears, berries, pumpkins, quinces, and persimmons)
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup soft butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup chopped pecans
Pinch salt
Work all ingredients with your hand or in a mixer with paddle attachment, until butter is mixed in and mixture clumps together. Cut fruit into 1-bite pieces, and toss with a little sugar and flour, and your favorite spices. Tart fruits like cranberries will require more sugar than most, and juicy fruits like berries, will require more flour to help thicken the consistency of the crisp. Put fruit mixture into oven-safe dish and top with crisp topping. Bake at 350 degrees F until done. You don’t need a timer. The crisp topping should be dark golden-brown — don’t be afraid of the color — and fruit mixture should be thick and bubbling. That’s when you know it’s ready. The crisp topping can be made ahead of time and kept frozen in an airtight container for about a month.
