Anyone can make this Yummy Crisp

By Sandy Hu

There’s nothing more inviting than Blueberry Apple Crisp baking in the oven, filling the kitchen with irresistibly delicious aromas.  This is a very simple dessert that anyone, including cooking newbies, can make successfully.  It’s guaranteed to win raves.

To make the crisp, peel, core and cube 4 cups of apples – you’ll need about 5 apples. You can use a potato peeler to peel, and a melon baller or paring knife to cut out the core.  That’s the hardest part.

The rest is simple: mix the oats and a few other dry ingredients together and use your fingers to squish them with butter to form the topping. Toss the apples with blueberries, flour and sugar, put in a baking dish, spoon on the topping and bake.  That’s the whole recipe!

This crisp is best warm from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.  Refrigerate any leftovers (if you can resist eating the whole batch) and have it for breakfast the next morning.

Blueberry Apple Crisp

1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup flour, divided
1/2 cup sugar, divided
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons butter, cut in small pieces
1/4 cup pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 bag (12 to 16 ounces) frozen blueberries
4 cups peeled and cubed apples or pears

Preheat oven to 375° F. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish. To prepare the topping: in a medium-sized bowl, combine oats, 1/4 cup of the flour, 1/4 cup of the sugar and the cinnamon.  Add butter; between fingers rub butter with dry ingredients to form coarse crumbs, stir in pecans.  In a large bowl, toss blueberries and apples with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup flour.  Pour blueberry-apple mixture into prepared baking dish.  Sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit.  Bake until apples are tender and topping is golden, about 50 minutes.  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt, if desired.

*Alternatively, combine dry ingredients and butter in a food processor container. Pulse to form coarse crumbs.

YIELD: 6 portions

Source: US Highbush Blueberry Council

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