This topping recipe is good an a variety of fruit. The filling recipe can be tweaked depending on how much sugar your fruit needs and how much liquid it produces while baking.
Crisp topping
1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
pinch of salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp nutmeg
5-6 ounces cold butter (10-12 tbsp)
1 cup quick oats
Process the flour, sugar, salt and spices in a food processor. Cut the butter in small pieces and add it to the work bowl. Pulse until the butter is well distributed and like coarse sand, but stop before the mass starts to form together. Add the oats and pulse a few times until they are distributed.
This recipe makes about six cups of topping, enough for two to three recipes of crisp. Either cut the recipe down for your needs, or store the extra in a jar in the fridge or in a ziplock bag in the freezer until needed.
Use approximately two cups for an 8×8 pan of crisp.
Fruit filling
5 – 8 cups of fruit, sliced as needed
sugar as needed
cornstarch as needed
Pie cherries:
For a 4×8 pan: Use 1/4 cup white sugar and 1 tbsp cornstarch for each 2 cups of pitted cherries. Use 1 cup topping (1/6 recipe). Note: skip the spices and add 1/4 tsp almond extract if desired.
Plum:
Use 3 tbsp white sugar and 1 tsp cornstarch for each 6 cups of pitted and sliced Italian plums. Add up to 1 tbsp grated ginger and 2 tbsp liquid (cream, fruit juice, water). Use 1/3 recipe topping.
Gooseberry:
Use 1/3 cup white sugar and 1.5 tbsp cornstarch for each 5 cups of topped and tailed gooseberries. Add up to 1 tbsp orange or lemon zest and 2 tbsp orange or lemon juice. Use 1/3 recipe topping.
Apple:
Sugar the apples only if they are not very sweet. For 8 cups of sliced apples (about 2.5 pounds), use 1/2 recipe topping. Or add a bit of sugar to the apples and use 1/3 recipe topping.
To Bake:
Preheat oven to 375°, or 350° if you are using a glass baking dish. Bake for about 30 minutes, until fruit is tender and the filling is bubbling.
2020