STRAWBERRY CRISP
Saturday, May 09, 2015
A juicy sweet tangle of bright, ruby red berries, boasting a buttery, crunchy, old-fashioned topping with just a whisper of maple. Love me tender!
Aaaah, strawberries. Our gorgeous, blushing, sexy, first fruit in the spring to ripen, fragrant, sweet orbs of nostalgic deliciousness.
They taste like summer, and of course possess that unmistakable, almost intoxicating scent. Maybe that has something to do with strawberries being a member of the rose family.
And they're kind of cheeky too, being the only fruit that wear their seeds on the outside.
Speaking of outside, it was a beautiful spring day, like many other in the Okanagan Valley....robin's egg blue skies, warm sunshine, blossoms and greening everywhere you looked. As soon as I walked in the door, that sweet aroma hit me, then I saw Save-On's big, buy-these-berries-now display. So I did.
And before I left that store I knew exactly what I was going to make. Simplicity and comfort. But first one quick stop at the Dairy Queen to grab a litre of soft-serve, and here we are.
Making this easy peasy crisp was a damn good plan. The berries' juicy sweetness seems to heighten from baking, but they still keep their shape, and the buttery crunch of the oatmeal laden topping, made my tastebuds 'belly-bump' each other. And, of course, a la modeing, was a grand idea, indeedy.
I have this weird little quirk, that happily happens so often to me. A song will come to mind when I see, or do, or taste or feel something, in all the right ways. When I was enjoying my Strawberry Crisp, Love Me Tender kept playing and replaying in my mind. Maybe it will for you too.
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Thanks to Sugar & Spice by Celeste food blog for inspiration
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STRAWBERRY CRISP - Makes 8 servings
Filling:
2 pounds fresh, ripe strawberries, hulled and halved lengthwise
1/3 cup sugar
1 heaping tablespoon instant tapioca
Topping:
1 cup flour
3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Preheat oven to 350F. Have a 9-inch, deep dish pie plate, or other similar baking dish ready.
For the filling: In a large bowl toss strawberries with sugar and mix lightly to evenly distribute. Pour into pie plate and set aside.
For the topping: In a large bowl stir together flour, rolled oats, sugars and cinnamon until well blended. Stir in melted butter and maple syrup until evenly moistened crumbs form. (I usually use my hands for this, and do a little squeezing here and there to get some big and little clumps happening. Texture is a very good thing.) Spoon the crumb mixture over the filling.
Bake the crisp until the juices are bubbling and the topping is golden brown, 35-45 minutes. Let cool at least 10-15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Delicious with DQ ice cream, passion fruit ice cream (thank-you President's Choice), or Kahlua laced whipped cream. Love me tender, love me sweet...