Cherry, Blackberry and Almond Crisp

A simple and elegant recipe for a succulent summer dessert. A  nutty crumbly topping sits on the luscious jammy fruit cushion – a cushion of cherries and blackberries –  an intensely satisfying morish kind of dessert.

Cobbler, Crisp, Crumble, Clafoutis, Betty, Buckle, Slump are close cousins with very similar traits – the fruit steals the show here with  some kind of topping, be it be streusel, pastry crumbs, biscuit dough, pie crust, batter or of any similar kind – baked and served warm with cold cream. The recipe today is a Crisp – a deep dish fruity dessert with crumbly crispy top with nuts included.

I will interrupt this post with a sweet but irresistible anecdote. Big sister was enthusiastically “teaching” the little sister. Subject of the conversation is the function of the organs.
Big sister (9): Why do we have a heart?
Little sister (4.5): So we can love a lot of people.
Shouldn’t kids remain kids? 🙂 I wonder why they have to grow up so fast.

This  delightful Crisp is from Lisa’s kitchen. Lisa has a charming space, inviting and elegant, beaming with gorgeous pictures and mouthwatering bakes (both sweet and savory)- and a lot of them are wheat free. Almost every time I visit her, I bookmark a recipe and it is carefully added to my ever growing list of “to dos”. Her Cherry Peach and Almond Crisp had been one of many. I love almonds and when I saw that the crisp was done with almond flour instead of the traditional flour or the oats, I just knew this was for me.

I decided to use cherries and blackberries that I had in plenty. The basic recipe has been followed to the T, except for some adjustments in the sweetness and a few other ingredients. 6 ramekins were used  so they do not overflow and drip as I had increased the amount of the fruits.

Cherry, Blackberry and Almond Crisp

Ingredients: (makes about six, approx. 3/4 filled ramekins)

(Adapted from Lisa’s Cherry Peach and Almond Crisp)

1. 2 cups fresh cherries, pitted and halved
2. 1.5 cups fresh blackberries
3. 2-3 tablespoons chopped/slices almonds
   
4. 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (or lemon or orange juice)
5. 1 teaspoon lime zest (or lemon zest or orange zest)
6. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
7. 3 tablespoons brown sugar
8. 1 tablespoons corn starch/corn flour or arrowroot powder

Topping:

1. 1/2 cup almond flour
2. 1/3 cup sliced almonds, sliced/chopped
3. 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
4. 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
   
5. 1 tablespoon brown sugar
   
6. 1/4 tsp sea salt
7. 3 tbsp butter, cold

Preparation:

Preheat your oven to 350 degree F.

Pit the cherries and half them. Combine the 2-3 tablespoons almonds, blackberries and cherries in a bowl.  Combine the zest, the lime juice, vanilla extract, and brown sugar and stir to combine. Add the corn starch/corn flour and add  into fruit, mixing them well. Let stand while you make topping.

Combine the almond flour, sliced almonds, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt into a bowl. Slice cold butter into small pieces and with your fingers, work butter into the mixture until it is entirely incorporated. (Mixture will be sticky rather than the usual coarse crumbly pea sized mealy texture.)

Divide the fruit between 6 ramekins. Cover each with an equal amount of topping completely covering the  fruits into ramekin. Place ramekins on baking sheet to catch the dripping juice. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top and juices of the fruit begin to bubble.

Serve with whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream or just by themselves.

No bake can get easier than this old fashioned dessert and no better way to enjoy the plentiful fruits! The crisp keeps well in the refrigerator for a couple of day. I warm them up for a couple of minutes before I serve them.







Related Posts:

Cherry Chocolate Almond Bars

Cherry and Apricot Clafoutis

Fruit Berry Spoon Cake

Cherry Berry Mousse Tart