I don’t know what it is about the cooler weather that brings to mind fruit crisps. Warm, cooked fruit with a crunchy topping makes my heart sing. Overly sweet desserts are too overwhelming to me but there’s something about the tartness of cranberries mixed with apple that’s extremely appealing.
This recipe came about because I had some apples on hand and leftover homemade Apple-Ginger Spiced Cranberry Sauce from Thanksgiving and thought – what a great combo!!!
APPLE-CRANBERRY CRISP
Apple-Cranberry Crisp
3 large apples (tart baking apples), cored, peeled and sliced
½ – ¾ cups cranberry sauce (see recipe above or use your favorite)
1 cup fresh cranberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ cup cane sugar
TOPPING
¾ cup rolled or quick oats
¾ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup flour
½ cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
* extra cold pats of unsalted butter
Preheat oven 350 degrees.
Toss apples with lemon juice in a large bowl then mix in sugar. Add cranberries and cranberry sauce and mix until combined. Place mixture in a greased 8 X 8 inch baking dish.
In a medium bowl, mix the flour, oats, brown sugar, pecans and spices with a fork until combined. Slowly drizzle melted butter into dry mix while stirring with a fork until butter is incorporated into topping.
Sprinkle topping over apples and cranberries. Place in oven for 45 – 50 minutes, until apples are tender and topping is brown. Cool on a wire rack.
Serve while still warm – with ice cream if desired!
* for extra goodiness, place a few extra pats of butter over the topping before placing in the oven.
