Plum Crisp

My contribution to a pot-luck dinner hosted by a colleague. The other items on the menu: an apéritif made with homemade ginger syrup and soda water, white bean & kale soup, a rustic loaf of wholegrain bread, and a salad of mixed baby greens, sweet bell peppers and pecans. Did we eat with abandon? No, I wouldn't say that. But we did eat with freedom, enjoyment and gratitude.

Plum Crisp, adapted from a recipe for berry crisp in "Food to Live By", The Earthbound Farm Organic Cookbook

Plum Crisp

Makes one 1-quart crisp

FOR THE FILLING:

2 cups frozen, pitted plums, thawed and cut in quarters
1 cup frozen apple-and-pear sauce, thawed
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons Turbinado sugar (use more or less depending on sweetness of fruit and your taste preference)
2 tablespoons maple syrup

FOR THE TOPPING:

1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Make the topping. Place flour, cinnamon, salt and brown sugar in a medium-size bowl. Stir together until blended. Add the butter in small chunks. Work the butter into the dry mixture with a fork or your fingers until it is in small, sweetlet pea-like bits. {Make mental note to self to try Heidi's recipe for crumb topping next time.} Add the rolled oats and stir to combine.

2. Set topping aside. {Take a break to give some love and a treat to any pet who knows some kitchen goodness is happening, a crumb or two may fall, and so is leaning heavily against your lower legs while you stand at the sink.}

3. Position a rack in the centre of the oven and preheat it to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. Make the filling. Place the plums and apple-pear sauce in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and sugar until blended. And the cornstarch and sugar to the fruit. Toss gently to combine. Transfer the fruit mixture to a shallow baking dish. {I used a quiche/flan pan.} Drizzle the maple syrup on top of the fruit.

5. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit but do not pack it down.

6. Bake the crisp until the fruit juices bubble up around the edges of the baking dish and the topping turns golden. {In my convection oven, this took about 30 minutes.} Let the crisp cool slightly before serving it warm.

Adapted from a recipe for Summer Berry Crisp, Food to Live By: The Earthbound Farm Organic Cookbook, page 346.

Comments

[Sophie]

Lovely recipe Elaine - I like it that there isn't too much sweetness but that what has been added has different flavours to it like the apple sauce and maple syrup. You can bring this to my potluck any day :-)

The rest of the menu sounds delicious too - gorgeous homely winter fare.

[Elaine]

Thank you, Sophie. I'm happy with the way this recipe turned out (my first time making it) and it's definitely one I'm going to keep tweaking it. I'm intrigued by Heidi Swanson's method for replacing half the butter with yogurt.

Now there's a lovely thought -- attending a potluck at your home :-).

[kathryn]

"Freedom, enjoyment and gratitude" - what a lovely way to eat. This is such a beautiful recipe Elaine. We're approaching plum season, so I should make it soon.

[Elaine]

Thank you, Kathryn. Your recent Everyday Kitchen post inspired me to use that triplet of nouns to describe the atmosphere around the dining room table. I hope you like the recipe if you try it. It's very adaptable and I'm sure you could add your own flair. If I would have had yogurt on hand, I would have tried Heidi's recipe for the topping.

[Diana Dyer]

I want to come eat with you! We're looking at planning a trip to Seattle and hope we can 'hop up' to Vancouver. :)

[Elaine]

Hello, Diana. I hope so, too! :-)

[kathryn elliott]

Elaine, I used this topping on a rhubarb and apple crumble / crisp over the weekend and boy it was good. I used Heidi's yoghurt idea, your crisp mixture and added a teaspoon of ground ginger to the mix.

So many of the healthier crumble toppings have a real wholegrain, too-healthy-for-their-own-good taste, whereas this one is bloomin' delicious.

I'd missed Heidi's original post, so thank you so much for posting this. I think it's going to become my default crumble mix.

[Elaine]

Hello, Kathryn. I'm so pleased you like this crumb mixture. Your comment reminded me I have some extra crumb mixture in the freezer. I think I will use it to make a rhubarb crisp this weekend. Thanks for the inspiration!