Food & Drink

Fall Harvest Fruit Crisp

Anne Byrn, author of Anne Byrn Saves the Day! Cookbook says when you want to cook with fresh apples and pears in the fall but you can’t always get your hands on a great pie recipe, or when you are hungry for pie but don’t have the time to make a crust, make a crisp. Crisps can be made ahead and baked at the last minute. They’re favorites of all ages. They can be dished up right from the pan, baked in individual ramekins, or plated on your grandmother’s china.

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Fall Harvest Fruit Crisp

Makes: One 9-inch crisp
Prep: 20 minutes
Bake: 1 hour and 10 to 15 minutes

Ingredients for the Fruit:

6 medium-size apples and/or pears, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (6 cups)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Ingredients for the Topping:

1 cup all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ cup finely chopped pecans or almonds (optional)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) lightly salted butter, chilled and cut into ½-inch pieces
Ice cream, for serving

Instructions:

Place a rack int he center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
Prepare the fruit: Place the apples and/or pears in a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan and toss them with the 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon of flour, and the cinnamon. Set the fruit aside.
Make the topping: Toss the 1 cup of flour with the 5 tablespoons of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, and the nuts, if using, in a small bowl. Add the butter, and, using 2 knives, cut it into the flour mixture until the pieces are the size of peas.
Sprinkle the topping over the fruit. Place the pie pan on a baking sheet and place the baking sheet in the oven. Bake the crisp until the fruit bubbles up and the topping is golden brown, 1 hour and 10 to 15 minutes. Serve the crisp warm with ice cream.

Do Ahead: The crisp can be assembled up to 4 hours before placing it in the oven. Cover the pie pan with waxed paper and keep it on the counter until its time to bake.

Razzle Dazzle: Add ¼ cup raisins that have been soaked in 2 tablespoons warm brandy or rum.

For exclusive recipes, hot tips, and answers to your baking questions from Anne, visit her site here, CakeMixDoctor.com