Cranberry-Apple Crisp

6-8 servings

This recipe is adapted from the recipe of the same name in Jane Brody’s Good Food Book.

In a large bowl combine:

3 c fresh (or frozen) cranberries (1 12-oz package)
2 large apples, unpeeled, cored, quartered and sliced thin

In a small bowl mix together, then add to fruit mixture*

½ c sugar

1 t ground cinnamon

1 T all-purpose white flour

Transfer the mixture to a 6-c shallow baking dish [I use a 10” diameter ceramic tart dish  Since the cranberries tend to burn if left on top, I layer apples over the cranberries.]

IN THE SAME BOWL ** (no need to wash) combine:

1 T melted butter 

2 T brown sugar [I often use 1T brown sugar and 1T maple syrup]

Mix well, then add:

3 T all-purpose white flour 

¾ c rolled oats [I use 1 cup]

½ c chopped walnuts or pecans (optional) [I  omit]

Mix again (mixture should still be crumbly) then sprinkle over the fruit.

Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 40* minutes or until the crisp is lightly browned. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before serving. [I usually serve at room temperature, sometimes with vanilla or ginger non-fat frozen yogurt.]

PDK VARIATION:

I sometimes make this without the oatmeal topping, especially if I am not planning to use the entire desert the same evening (oatmeal tends to get soggy). When I do this, I toss the apples and cranberries, then separate the apples and put all the cranberries on the bottom of the tart dish. I arrange the apples on top of the cranberries (as I do with Apple Tart) in concentric circles; this not only looks more elegant but I find the apples are less likely to over cook (burn) in my convection oven. Sometimes after cooking I put the same glaze used on the Apple Tart on the apples:

Make glaze by combining and heating to 225 degrees F:

¼ c apricot preserve (there will be pieces of fruit; I usually cut larger pieces into very small bits, alternatively you may choose to rub preserves through a sieve)

1 T sugar

Using a pastry brush coat the tops of all the apple slices with the hot glaze.Cool and serve as above.

* November 2012 Note:  Although it is an extra step and another dirty dish, I have started mixing the sugar, flour and cinnamon together before adding them to the fruit.  I find this gives a more consistent distribution of the cinnamon.   Since I like the apples a bit on the crisper side I check apples after 30 minutes.

** 18 November 2012 VARIATION:  I made a Pear-Ginger Crisp tonight (photo left) and used a slightly different topping which the three of us who tired the crisp really liked. This topping, using ingredients below, which are scaled up for a larger baking dish,  could be used  instead of the topping given above:

1 1/2 T  butter, melted
1 1/2 T  maple syrup
1 1/2 T  brown sugar
1/2 c walnuts, broken in small pieces (optional)

Mix well and then add:

3/4 c rolled oats
3 T flour

Reviewed 5/22/2017

Revised 11/21/2024: added notes re: brown sugar and oats