One of my absolute favorite combinations, both in taste and smell, is cherry and almond. This crisp comes together in minutes and tastes so good, especially when it’s warm and topped with vanilla ice cream. I really like that I can make it year-round, using fresh sweet cherries in season and defrosted frozen ones the rest of the year.
| PREP: 15 minutes | COOK: 20 minutes | COOL: 20 minutes |
TOPPING
1 cup rolled oats
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
6 tablespoons salted butter, cut into bits, at room temperature, plus more for the ramekins
½ cup slivered almonds
FILLING
2 pounds fresh sweet cherries, pitted, or thawed frozen cherries, blotted dry (about 5 cups)
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon almond extract
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
FOR SERVING
1½ pints vanilla ice cream
1. To make the topping: In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and ginger. Use a pastry cutter to work the butter into the oat mixture until pebbly. Gently stir in the almonds. Freeze until needed.
2. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter six 10-ounce ramekins and set them on a rimmed baking sheet.
3. To make the filling: In a large bowl, stir together the cherries, lemon zest, lemon juice, and almond extract.
4. In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar and cornstarch. Sprinkle the mixture over the cherries and toss to coat. Divide among the prepared ramekins.
5. Divide the topping among the ramekins, covering the cherries.
6. Bake on the baking sheet until the topping is deep golden brown and juices bubble around the edges, about 20 minutes.
7. Cool at least 20 minutes, then serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream.
8. Cover leftovers and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Makes 6 servings