Lynn Rossy’s Fruit Crisp

Submitted by: Lynn Rossy (Columbia, MO)

My Food Story:

My husband and I have a regular visit with my Mom and Dad (age 87 and 93, respectively) on Sunday evenings to visit about the week’s events and family news. During the shelter-at-home, we did not feel like we could go inside their home safely so we visited outside on their large outdoor patio. Some days we had to bundle up a lot to stay warm. But, we also started having desserts that warmed up the belly. We would alternate between my Mom’s apple pie and my fruit crisp fresh from the oven. Both always had ice cream to melt on top. Many of my friends are great cooks and this recipe is from one of them. Thanks to Martha Dragich for this easy-to-make, delicious dessert. I even taught my 10-year-old nephew in Oregon how to make it over Facetime during one of our coronavirus cooking classes. Teaching him easy things to cook has been tons of fun and helps us stay connected.

Fruit Crisp

(Serves 6 people)

Ingredients 

• Fruit

  • 5 cups of fruit (one or a combination of blueberries, peaches, apples, blackberries or other favorite fruit)**

  • ¼ cup sugar (or a little less)

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice (if desired)

  • 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch (less for dryer fruits and more for juicer fruits)

• Topping

  • 1 stick butter, softened to room temperature

  • ¾ cup all purpose flour

  • ¼ cup granulated sugar

  • ¼ cup brown sugar

  • ¾ cup rolled oats

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

  • ½ to ¾ cup sliced almonds (or other nuts, chopped)

Instructions:

Prepare fruit and put into buttered 8 inch x 8 inch baking dish. Add sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch to the fruit and stir to combine. Let sit while you make the topping.

For the topping, cut butter into chunks and place in mixing bowl. Add flour, sugars, oats, and cinnamon. Mix on low speed until clumps begin to form. Add slice almonds and mis just enough to distribute nuts through the batter.

Dollop HALF of the topping over the fruit. Topping should cover the fruit with few gaps and should be a little clumpy for best texture.

SAVE the other half of the topping in the refrigerator for your next batch of fruit crisp. It will keep for weeks.

Bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes. The topping should look a little browned and slightly crisp, and the fruit juices should be bubbling up in places.

**You can use any fresh fruit or frozen fruit or a combination of fruits. There is no need to thaw frozen fruit.