Plums!
If you are like many lucky residents in our area a plethora of plums have found their way into your home.
We are fortunate to have a plum tree in our front yard. My neighbors have plums, and many of our friends enjoy spreading their plum wealth. I always accept.
I love the little gems, and enjoy finding easy ways to use up all of the plums that find their way to my door.
I like to make plum jam with the kids or toss plums in pound cakes and muffins.
But my absolute favorite plum treat right now is a super simple plum crisp.
Really, any fruit can be used to make a crisp. What makes the crisp so delicious is its oat topping. My topping is primarily butter and brown sugar with some oats tossed in to alleviate any guilt I may have, because we all know how good a fruit crisp is for breakfast!
Experiment with different fruits. I like using apricots, peaches and cherries for a different combination. The addition of cardamom adds a distinctive flavor, but feel free to use more cinnamon or
even add a touch of vanilla or the zest of an orange.
Serve your crisp with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Enjoy!
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Summer Fruit Oat Crisp
2 sticks butter, cut into small pieces 2 1/4 cup flour 1 cup brown sugar (I use dark) 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup old fashioned oats (rolled) 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)Filling
2 1/2 pounds plums with the pits removed Lemon juice 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1/4 teaspoon cardamom 1/2 cup sugarPreheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your 3-quart baking dish by buttering the bottom surface.
In a large bowl mix together the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Put butter pieces into flour
mixture and work it in with your fingers until large clumps form. Add the oats and mix in, and nuts, if you’re using them.
For the fruit filling, in a separate bowl toss the fruit, lemon and all remaining ingredients to combine.
Pour fruit mixture into prepared baking dish. Place clumps of the oat topping over the fruit, covering
evenly.
Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the fruit juices are bubbling and the oat topping is
a beautiful golden brown color. Your home will smell fantastic! Invite a neighbor and share your
crisp. You will be glad you did.
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Andrea Charroin was a trained baker and pastry chef in San Francisco before she, her husband Westley, and their two sons moved to Redding nine years ago. After falling in love with Redding’s downtown, Andrea and Westley opened a little pastry shop, Rene-Joule Patisserie, across from the Cascade Theatre. For the three years Rene-Joule was in business, it was renowned for making everything from scratch, using the best ingredients and keeping with a seasonal menu. To this day, Andrea is still asked about her Marathon Bars, Orange Twists and sourdough bread.
Copyright 2008 Andrea R. Charroin
