Any Fruit Will Do Oatmeal Crisp

Our friends invited us over for dessert recently and they served this warm berry crisp with vanilla ice cream over the top. The whole dessert just hit the spot and I thought about it all week. I caved and made some last night for my little family and to share with you guys today....virtually, not literally. Hehe. Usually you see a lot of fruit crisp type desserts pop up in the fall, but I thought this worked great for winter using frozen berries from your freezer. The great thing about this is you can switch up the fruits you use depending on your mood or the season. I've included the recipes for the different fruit fillings below (bake times and temps are the same). Thanks for the recipe, Alison!

Recipe:

Note: This recipe is for an 8 in square baking dish. If you are doubling it, use a 9 x 13 baking dish.

Topping:

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

Berry Filling:

2 cups any berries you prefer (such as blueberries, raspberries, strawbs, or a combo) or 1 10 0z pkg frozen berries, thawed

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2 teaspoons water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl combine and mix all ingredients listed for the berry filling. Pour berry mixture into baking dish. In a medium bowl combine all topping ingredients except butter. Cut butter in dry ingredients until mixture is crumbly and the butter is pea sized. Sprinkle topping evenly over the fruit mixture and bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

Cherry Filling:

2 14 oz cans red pitted cherries, drained

1/2 cup juice from cherries

Combine drained cherries and 1/2 cup juice in baking dish. Top with oatmeal topping.

Apple Filling:

4-5 medium apples (such as granny smith), peeled and cored

1/3 to 1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Thinly slice apples and place in baking dish. Add brown sugar and lemon juice and combine. Top with oatmeal topping.

Rhubarb Filling:

3 cups frozen rhubarb or fresh (peeled if fresh), thawed and sliced

1/3 cup brown sugar

Combine rhubarb and brown sugar in baking dish. Top with oatmeal topping.

Pear Filling:

5 pears, peeled and cored

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Thinly slice pears. In a baking dish combine the pears, sugar, and lemon juice. Top with oatmeal topping.

Pie Filling:

1 19 oz can pie filling (any kind you prefer)

Spread filling in baking dish and sprinkle with oatmeal topping.

images by Briana