Anyone can be "the family chef". You just need good recipes and techniques! Chef Amy Fothergill shares her best recipes with you for quick and easy dishes with an emphasis on gluten-free.

Get information here about her cookbook, The Warm Kitchen: Gluten-Free Recipes Anyone Can Make and Everyone Will Love.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Gluten-free Fruit and Berry Crisp Recipe

 
This recipe is so good, you will also want seconds!

What I love about this recipe is that you can make it all year round. In the summer, there is a bounty of fruit like peaches, apricots, nectarines, and all types of berries. In the winter, you can use apples, pears, and frozen fruit. The recipe is very forgiving as well. You can measure the fruit or just put enough to fill your pan. Use what's on hand and check the freezer.

I love using berries in my crisp recipe because they are so healthy. We are lucky to have Driscoll's Berries available in stores where I shop. I like that they are just down the road in Watsonville, produce tasty berries and offer a wide variety of organic products. For the crisp above, I used raspberries, blueberries, frozen peaches and fresh apple slices.

Remember, berries freeze very well so get them when they are fresh from the market, lay them flat on a cookie sheet, freeze, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. The bag is a little better because you can remove the air which can cause freezer burn. If you wash your berries, make sure they are dry before freezing. I give mine a quick rinse and gently pat them with a paper towel to avoid breaking them.

I have been making this fruit crisp for a long time. When I went gluten-free, I adapted it so the whole family could enjoy it. It continues to be a favorite of my family, friends and students in my classes. It can be served as is, with ice cream or heavy cream, yogurt or, for a dairy-free ice cream, try some vanilla coconut "ice cream".

If you are concerned about the oats (some people can't even tolerate the gluten-free variety), add more gluten-free flour mix and chopped nuts. To save time, measure the crisp ingredients (except the butter) beforehand and keep it in a bowl until you are ready to bake. Instead of a store-bought dessert, why not give this one a try? I'll bet everyone will appreciate it!

Watch the how-to video here on The Family Chef You Tube channel.



Gluten-Free Fruit and Berry Crisp 

Crisp Topping:
1/2 cup Amy's gluten-free flour mix
1/3 cup gluten-free quick oats (if you can’t tolerate oats, substitute with more gluten-free flour mix and/or more chopped nuts)
1/3 cup organic white or cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt  (use 1/4 teaspoon of table salt)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Optional: 1/2 cup chopped nuts (chop first, then measure)
6-8 Tablespoons melted unsalted butter or vegetable oil (use less if you are watching calories; more if you want a crisper topping)

Filling:
4 cups sliced, peeled and cored fruit like apples, pears, peaches, nectarines and/or blueberries, blackberries or olallieberries (use all of one or a combination)
1/3 – 1/2 cup sugar or agave nectar (use more sugar or agave if the fruit is tart or if you use more than 4 cups)
2 Tablespoons cornstarch or any other starch like tapioca or arrowroot


1.    Preheat the oven to 375F. Grease a 2 to 2-1/2 quart baking dish or deep pie dish.
2.    Make the Crisp Topping and set aside.
3.    Mix the fruit, sugar and cornstarch and toss gently. Transfer the fruit mixture to the baking dish and cover with the crisp topping, spreading evenly.
4.    Place in the oven and bake until the top is well browned and the fruit is tender when pierced with a knife, about 30-35 minutes.
5.    Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

this is delicious! i've already made it twice this month. so simple and versatile. i only used 1/4 cup sugar in the filling and 1/4 cup in the topping. (i used peaches, strawberries, blueberries, and apple) the sweetness was perfect.

The Family Chef said...

So glad you like it. I use this recipe in my classes and for my own family and friends all of the time. One of my friend's daughter said it was the best dessert she ever had! It will be in the cookbook as well. Good job on lowering the sugar.

A_McQ said...

I just made this berry crisp and used frozen mixed berries and coconut oil in the topping, and it turned out really well. I increased the amount of cornstarch in the filling, but other than that followed the recipe. Thanks for a simply delicious dessert!

yogageek said...

Delicious! This is one of the best GF crisp recipes I have ever had! I will be making this again! I love the nuts in the crisp. Served warm with a dollop of vanilla ice cream, heavenly!

The Family Chef said...

@yogageek, make sure to check out my new website and blog: www.amythefamilychef.com . And thanks so much!!