Easy Autumn Baking with Less Fuss, More Flavor
Does dessert get any more comforting than this?
My next recipe post was supposed to be for the quick roasted brussels sprouts I've been eating by the pound lately—and which would be perfect for Thanksgiving. But all fresh vegetable goodness aside, sometimes you just have to eat dessert first. Stay tuned for the sprouts recipe, which I'll hopefully have up in the next few days is up! In the meantime, enjoy this easy autumn treat!
I love fruit pies, but many people find them intimidating. A fresh fruit crisp, on the other hand, mixes up in no time flat and involves none of that pie crust panic.
While fruit crisp isn't health food, it's definitely better for you than sugary cereals or donuts, and makes a wonderful breakfast treat when served with an ice cold glass of milk—although some mornings definitely require a side of vanilla ice cream instead.
I've made this crisp with Bartlett and D'Anjou pears, but other varieties should work, too. You can use soft or firm ripe pears; it's up to you. Overripe pears are perfectly tasty, too, but the chunks won't hold their shape as well.
I like to use sweet apples like Gala and Fuji, but my hunky farmguy Joe prefers the tarter Granny Smiths. Use a softer apple if your pears are very soft.
Leaving some or all of the pears and apples unpeeled will give your crisp a nice rustic look, especially if the apples have some red on them.
If you prefer, you can make the topping with either just whole wheat pastry flour or just all-purpose flour. When you're assembling the crisp, it may seem like there's too much topping. There isn't, though a couple of stolen nibbles will never be missed.
If you prefer, you can make the topping with either just whole wheat pastry flour or just all-purpose flour. When you're assembling the crisp, it may seem like there's too much topping; there isn't.
Thick oats give a nuttier texture to the topping than regular old-fashioned oats, but if you can't find thick just use the regular (but not the quick) kind.
This recipe fills my 8-inch square white baking dish right up to the rim, so if the sides of yours aren't very tall, you'll want to use a 9-inch square dish instead.
As always, I urge you to seek out local and organic ingredients; they really do make a difference. Unfortunately both apples and pears are high on the Environmental Working Group's list of Most Contaminated Produce (apples are #1!), but organic options are readily available in many areas, especially this time of year. When using citrus zest, organic is the way to go.
Look for organic flours and oats in the bulk bins at natural food stores. Organic sugars, including brown sugars, are thankfully becoming mainstream, and organic butter is often on sale for the holidays; it'll keep for many months in the freezer. Local Harvest is a great source for finding all kinds of healthy food close to home.
Farmgirl Susan's Old-Fashioned Pear and Apple Crisp
Makes one 8-inch or 9-inch square crisp
**Click here to print this recipe**
Ingredients:
Topping:
1/2 cup organic all-purpose flour
1/2 cup organic whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour
1 cup light brown sugar, packed, preferably organic
1 cup thick old-fashioned (not quick) organic oats
3/4 cup (1½ sticks/6 ounces) organic butter, cut into small chunks
Filling:
2 pounds organic pears (about 4 large), peeled if desired, cored, and cut into 1-inch chunks
1¼ pounds organic apples (about 3 medium), peeled if desired, cored, and cut into 3/4" to 1" chunks
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon finely grated organic lemon zest
1 teaspoon finely grated organic orange zest
3 Tablespoons all-purpose organic flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (or 1/2 teaspoon pre-ground)
Instructions:
Heat the oven to 375°.
For the topping:
Combine the flours, brown sugar, and oats in a medium bowl. Blend in the butter using a pastry blender, two forks, or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Some larger chunks of butter are fine.
For the filling:
Place the pears and apples in a large bowl and toss with the lemon and orange juices using a large spoon. Add the lemon zest, orange zest, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix well. Pour the fruit into an 8-inch or 9-inch square dish and cover evenly with the topping.
Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until the topping is brown and the fruit is bubbling. Serve warm or at room temperature, with scoops of vanilla ice cream or freshly whipped cream if desired.
This crisp will keep for 3 to 4 days in a cool pantry or the fridge. It also freezes beautifully. I've frozen one or two servings in containers (I love this Pyrex 14-piece storage set so much I bought a second one), but you could probably freeze the whole crisp; either leave it right in the pan (if it's freezer safe), or line the pan with heavy foil before baking, freeze the crisp in the pan, then lift the whole thing out of the pan in one big piece and transfer to a container or zipper freezer bag. Set it back in the pan when you defrost it.
Craving more sweet treats? Try these other Farmgirl Fare recipes:
Cookies and Bars
Muffins and Scones
Cakes, Tarts, and More
Still hungry? You'll find links to all my sweet and savory Less Fuss, More Flavor recipes in the Farmgirl Fare Recipe Index.
© FarmgirlFare.com, the crustless foodie farm blog where Farmgirl Susan shares recipes, stories, and photos from her crazy country life on 240 remote Missouri acres—and crisp, crumble, and cobbler are some of our favorite words in the English language.
