Serves 6 or more
Fruit crisp is the most obvious, organically whole-grain dessert there is, because the topping is traditionally made from rolled oats, and the filling consists of fruit and as much or as little sugar as you want to add to it. Crisps are also very forgiving.
If I were a die-hard seasonally inspired cook, I would tell you that this was strictly a summer crisp. But truth be told, I make it just as often in the winter, because I always have bags of fresh berries in the freezer just for this purpose. Whether you make this crisp with fresh or frozen fruit, it’s the easiest dessert you’ll ever put together because berries don’t require any peeling, slicing, or dicing. Just dump and bake.
3 (10- to 12-ounce) bags frozen small berries (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, or boysenberries), or 7 cups fresh berries
¼ cup all-purpose, whole wheat, or brown rice flour
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons raw or granulated sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Uncooked Whole-Grain Crisp Topping (recipe follows)
Yogurt Cream (here) or vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, for serving
Adjust the oven racks so one is in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F.
Put the berries, flour, sugar, and lemon juice in a bowl and stir to combine. Dump the berries out into a large ovenproof skillet or a deep ceramic pie or casserole dish. Crumble the crisp topping over the fruit, leaving the fruit around the edges visible. Put the dish on a baking sheet to catch any juices that might bubble over and bake for about 50 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling around the edges and the topping is golden brown and crisp. Remove the crisp from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. Spoon it into bowls and serve with the cream of your choice.
Makes about 2 cups, or enough for 1 fruit crisp
Years ago, when I was just starting out as a writer, I got a summer job baking fruit pies, cobblers, crisps, and cookies for the “One Percent” clientele who shopped at Loaves & Fishes, a legendarily expensive Hamptons gourmet food emporium. In addition to making 60 pies a day (with everything from scratch, of course), I made big portions of crisp topping, which we would freeze and use to put together fruit crisps at a moment’s notice. Today, I do the same at home. Buckwheat is the latest addition to my ever-evolving crisp topping recipe. It adds such an appealing crunch that you almost forget about the fact that it’s also good for you. To make it gluten-free, use brown rice flour, which results in a slightly grainier but still buttery and irresistible topping.
Bake this topping on the Sourmash Apple Crisp (here) or Mixed Berry Crisp (here). Or bake it on its own and sprinkle the crispy crumbles over Pan-Seared Fruit (here) or yogurt.
¾ cup all-purpose, whole wheat, or brown rice flour
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons rolled oats (or any rolled cereal)
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light or dark brown sugar
¼ cup buckwheat
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
Adjust the oven racks so one is in the middle position and preheat the oven to 300°F.
Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, buckwheat, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the butter and use your fingertips to work the butter in with the dry ingredients until no flour is visible and the mixture forms clumps. Use as a topping in the crisp recipe of your choice, or bake it on its own. If you’re saving it for later, refrigerate the topping for up to a week in a covered container, or freeze for up to several months.
To bake the crisp topping on its own, spread it out on a baking sheet in a single layer, bringing any stray pieces into the main event; stray bits will burn before the rest is done. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and crispy, stirring once or twice in the process so the topping browns and crisps up evenly. Remove the topping from the oven. If you’re storing the topping to use later, let it cool, then store at room temperature in a covered container.