Last Thanksgiving, I wanted to make a quintessentially autumnal crisp but was coming up short on a winning combination of flavors and seasonal fruits – until someone suggested that I add cranberry. It was a lightbulb moment. The cranberry is a subtle, tart surprise and nicely contrasts with the pear and apple. Coarsely chopped walnuts, along with oats, add a toothsome texture to the topping.
APPLE, PEAR AND CRANBERRY CRISP
For the filling:
1.5 pounds tart, crisp apples, such as Pink Lady (about 5 apples)
1 pound ripe pears, such as Bartlett (about 3 pears)
2 cups unsweetened cranberries, fresh or frozen
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
For the topping:
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 stick salted butter, cut into cubes
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Core the apples and pears and cut into chunks. (I have never peeled fruit for a crisp, but if you’d prefer to, go ahead!)
In a large mixing bowl, toss the apples, pears and cranberries with the sugar, flour, lemon juice and spices. Pour fruit mixture into a large baking dish.
In another bowl, combine all of the ingredients with the butter and work the mixture with your fingers until crumbly. Spoon the mixture over the fruit.
Bake for about 45 minutes, until the topping is a lovely golden brown and the fruits are bubbling through. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
by Kimberley
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