Another easy and delicious dessert that seems sinful but really isn’t, is something called an Apple Crisp. This is different from the cobblers, crumbles and brown betty desserts we all know and love. Like the others, a fruit crisp is made with whatever fruits you have on hand. The most traditional ones are blueberries, blackberries, peaches, apples, cherries—the ones that we love to not only eat but bake into pies.
A crisp is usually topped with a mixture of nuts and grains and not the more traditional batter or streusel. I like to add my homemade granola as a topping for my crisps if I’m in a hurry. I mix a little of the granola with the apples and then add some more on top right before I pull the crisp out from the oven. I let it all bake together in all of those yummy juices that bake out as the fruits cooks down. I add the topping for the last 5 or 10 minutes of the baking process. If you were adding the topping in a raw form, you could add it as the topping at the beginning when you first put the apples (or whatever fruit you are using) in the oven, so that they can all bake together. This is another really delicious dessert that comes together quickly and also something that is appropriate for the Lenten season.
Baked Apple Crisp
4 apples
½ cup granola
2 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch (or flour)
1 cup apple juice (I used some strawberry puree I had on hand)
½ teaspoon cinnamon
butter**optional
Slice the apples and add to a medium sized bowl. Add the sugar, cinnamon and sifted cornstarch (or flour). Add the 1 cup apple juice and ½ cup homemade granola. Toss and spoon into sprayed baking dish and bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes until bubbling, then turn off the oven. Add the granola and leave the baking dish in the oven to absorb the juices and to keep the dessert warm. Serve as is if you are enjoying this during the Lenten season or with some coconut milk as I did. If you’re indulging in something a little more decadent, don’t hesitate to add some ice cream or whipped cream.
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