Blackberry Nut Crisp -- fruit & nuts paired deliciously!

Nutty Blackberry Crisp with
Vanilla Ice Cream—Yum!

     It's blackberry season and time to pull out my crumb topping recipe that is piled on top of fresh fruit. This is a versatile recipe and I often mix up multiple batches of this topping and keep it in the refrigerator or freezer. 

     I use it to top apples, peaches, or fruits (fresh or frozen), or berries for a quick dessert. The nice thing is that you can make a large crisp, a smaller size or  individual helpings.

     Oats add crunch to the crisp but for even more crunch and nutrition, I like to add nuts—in this case almonds. The almonds can be added directly to the crumb topping but since I make several batches ahead, I prefer to add them as I'm assembling the crisp.

And, while we're on the subject of ALMONDS, check out the links to some of our other favorite almond recipes . . . located near the end of this post.

Crumb Topping for Fruit Crisp    Enough to top two 9” pans of fruit. 

1 cup brown sugar (packed)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups oatmeal, old-fashioned or quick 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick butter (1/2 cup), cut into cubes

1. In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients; work in butter until mixture becomes crumbly. 
2. Store in refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.

To assemble the Fresh Fruit CRISP:
4 cups fresh blackberries or other fresh fruit
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 to 1 cup granulated sugar
About 1 to 2 teaspoons lemon zest, optional

1. Mix  4 cups of fresh, uncooked fruit, with about 3 tablespoons cornstarch for thickening purposes, and  about 1/2 to 1 cup granulated sugar (use as much as is needed to sweeten fruit). 
   
2. If desired, add the prepared fruit to a saucepan and heat to thicken mixture before adding it the the baking pan/dish. For a flavor boast, add about 1 tablespoon of lemon zest.
3. Spread prepared fruit n a 9” pan/dish.
4. Add about 3/4 to 1 cup of toasted almonds to a half-batch of Crumb Topping mixture. (Toasting almonds enhances their flavor and is easily done: Spread nuts on a baking sheet and bake @ 350° —about 5 minutes for sliced almonds. Watch carefully as they can go from light to very dark quickly!) VARIATION: Add toasted walnuts.

   

   Sliced almonds after being toasted for 5 minutes in a 350° oven.

5. Cover fruit with  topping mixture. 
   
6. Bake in preheated 350° oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until hot and bubbly.
   

Nutty Nutrition—ALMONDS

Although they come in small packages, almonds are packed with vitamin E, magnesium and fiber, and they are considered a heart-healthy food. In fact, the FDA issued a qualified health claim in 2003 that states: "Scientific evidence suggests, but does not prove, that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts, such as almonds, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease.”

A one-ounce, 160-calorie handful of almonds (20 to be exact) is an excellent source of vitamin E and magnesium; that quantity also provides 12% of your daily protein allowance. Plus, almonds offer potassium, calcium and iron. 

Other claims include:

*they may help prevent osteoporosis as 20 almonds contain as much calcium as 1/4 cup of milk.

*they help regulate blood pressure since they’re high in potassium and low in sodium.

*some say they aid in cancer fighting due to their vitamin E and other protective nutrients such as calcium and magnesium. 

For more ALMOND information and access to online products, go to Nuts.com  (https://nuts.com/nuts/almonds/)

Some of our favorite recipes that feature ALMONDS . . .

Main Dishes

Chicken Casserole 

Desserts

Cakes / Crumbles

Blackberry Cream Cheese Coffeecake 

Cranberry Crunch Coffee Cake 

Plum Good Crumble 

Tunisian Almond-Orange Cake 

Cookies

Baklav Rounds 

Florentine Lace Cookies 

Lola Granola Bars 

Mocha Meringue Bark 

Nutty Cracker Delights 

Nut Macaroons 

Peppernuts 

Tart

Fresh Peach Tart

Recipe without photos . . .

Crumb Topping for Fruit Crisp    Enough to top two 9” pans of fruit. 

1 cup brown sugar (packed)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups oatmeal, old-fashioned or quick 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick butter (1/2 cup), cut into cubes

1. In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients; work in butter until mixture becomes crumbly. 
2. Store in refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.

To assemble the Fresh Fruit CRISP:
4 cups fresh blackberries or other fresh fruit
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 to 1 cup granulated sugar
About 1 to 2 teaspoons lemon zest, optional

1. Mix  4 cups of fresh, uncooked fruit, with about 3 tablespoons cornstarch for thickening purposes, and  about 1/2 to 1 cup+ granulated sugar (use as much as is needed to sweeten fruit). 
2. If desired, add the prepared fruit to a saucepan and heat to thicken mixture before adding it the the baking pan/dish. For a flavor boast, add about 1 tablespoon of lemon zest.
3. Spread prepared fruit n a 9” pan/dish.
4. Add about 3/4 to 1 cup of toasted almonds to a half-batch of Crumb Topping mixture. (Toasting almonds enhances their flavor and is easily done: Spread nuts on a baking sheet and bake @ 350° —about 5 minutes for sliced almonds. Watch carefully as they can go from light to very dark quickly!) VARIATION: Add toasted walnuts.
5. Cover fruit with  topping mixture. 
6. Bake in preheated 350° oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until hot and bubbly.