Apple Blueberry Crisp

This recipe just happened -- I brought home a peck of apples from the orchard down the road, looked in the fridge at the blueberries leftover from our last visit to a local grower, and decided dessert was in order. Pie? not enough time to make a crust (and too lazy). Crisp? Yes -- easy to throw together, quick to bake. So throw and bake I did.

For a change I thought to write down measurements in case it turned out well. And I'm glad I did! This dessert turned out great -- the blueberries and apples played off each other well, neither drowning out the other; the cardamom is a delicate touch that brings out the flavors of the fruit; it's just the right amount of sweetness, enough to tone down the tartness of the fruit without having sweetness dominate; the touch of maple lends a bit of complexity; and the topping is the perfect amount of crunch, with neither too much sugar nor butter, and not so much topping that it seems cloying. So, not to break my arm patting myself on the back or anything, but this is a true keeper!



APPLE BLUEBERRY CRISP

Ingredients:

fruit:

• 3 c. peeled, sliced tart apples (I used MacIntosh but any tart apple would work)
• 1 1/2 c. blueberries
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 3 T. maple syrup
• 2 T. flour
• 4 cardamom pods worth of seeds, seeds removed and lightly crushed
• pinch of cinnamon
• pinch of salt

topping:

• 1 c. oats
• 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/3 c. brown sugar
• 1/4 c. softened butter
• 1/4 t. cinnamon

Method:

For the fruit mixture, combine apples, sugar, maple syrup, cardamom seeds, flour, pinch of cinnamon, pinch of salt; mix well. Add blueberries and mix gently. Pour into greased 9" square baking dish.

For the topping, mix the oats, flour, cinnamon, brown sugar. Cut in butter with pastry blender or fingers. Crumble topping over fruit.


Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes, or until fruit is bubbling and the topping is brown.

Enjoy!


And part of that enjoyment is to cook, eat, dance, love!