Chef notes
You can use any sweet, summer fruit for this wonderfully nutty crisp, which is easily baked in a skillet. Or, use some combination of blueberries, raspberries, apricots, cherries, plums and strawberries, as long as the fruit is ripe and juicy. This dessert is best baked within a few hours of serving. But don't serve it hot from the oven. The juices need to cool to room temperature to thicken properly.
Swap option: You can also swap out any kind of nut for the almonds. Or just leave them out entirely for a nut-free version.
Ingredients
- 6 cups berries (blueberries, raspberries and strawberries)
- 1/4-1/2 cup light brown sugar, to taste
- 3 tablespoons instant (quick cooking) tapioca
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 pinch salt
- A few drops vanilla or almond extract, optional
- 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
- Vanilla ice cream, optional
Preparation
For the filling:
Heat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, toss together the berries, sugar, tapioca, lemon juice, salt and extract. Let sit for 20 minutes, tossing occasionally.
For the topping:
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, spices and salt. Stir in butter and almonds. Mixture will form coarse crumbs.
To assemble and serve:
Transfer berries to a 9-inch ovenproof skillet. Cook the berries over medium heat, stirring, until they jet juicy and the sugar melts, about 3- 5 minutes. Scatter the butter pieces over the top. Using your fingers, form crumb mixture into 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch crumbs and spread over top. (Be careful, the pan will be hot.)
Bake until filling is bubbling and topping is light golden, 45-55 minutes. Let cool for at least an hour before serving. Serve with ice cream if you like.
