Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Apple-Pear Crisp



Ha! I have finally have time, during this wonderful Presidents day Weekend, to blog!!!
Today I am making Apple-Pear crisp, from a recipe adapted by me from 101 Cookbooks.
I have scaled it down to fit exactly four people, and baked in individualized ramekins.

The topping is a bit different than usual, it has chew and is similar to granola. Some may prefer a bit less topping, and can reduce the recipe accordingly.

Filling:
  • 4 small apples
  • 1 medium pear
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • Half a lemon (The juice)
Topping:
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats (I used quick cooking, haven't tried it with anything else)
  • 1/4 cup whole wheat flour.
  • 1/4 cup slivered almonds
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp plain yogurt
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • Small pinch salt (1/4 tsp-ish)
Fruit:
  1. Peel and core the apples and pears. Slice into wedges about a centimeter thick.
  2. Add the lemon juice and nutmeg.
  3. Divide evenly into 4 or 5 ramekins, or serve it "family style" in a 8x8 dish. (this can be done in advance.)

Topping:
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350F. When the oven is hot, cook apples without topping for ten minutes.
  2. Prepare the flour, sugar, salt in a small mixing bowl.
  3. Melt the butter in a medium-small saucepan and cook until it starts to brown slightly.
  4. Add the cinnamon and stir.
  5. Add the oats and almonds and sauté on medium heat for 5-6 minutes, until the until has darkened slightly and a REALLY delicious smell of cinnamon, butter, and oats wafts out strongly.
  6. Pour the oats/almonds into the flour bowl and combine well. Add the yogurt and vanilla and stir into the mixture.
  7. When the apples have cooked ten minutes, remove them from the oven and spread the topping equally over each ramekin. Try to make it look "crumbled."
  8. Bake for 30-45 minutes, until the apples are soft and bubbling and the topping is crisp.
  9. Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream.

More Pictures.