HA….we're on a roll now. This tasty treat turned out to be the perfect foil for a 1/2 used jar of Trader Joe's Apple Butter hogging space in our fridge, and as easy as that the inventory of our refrigerator condiment museum took another hit. Perhaps we should craft a song for the occasion…."50 bottles of condiments in the fridge, 50 bottle of condiments….you take 1 out, and put it to use, 49 bottles of condiments in the fridge" Ugh, with 47 bottles left, this could take a while…..
Bet you didn't know I could sing, did you?
I can't remember how long the apple butter had been in the fridge or why we originally acquired it, but it still tasted fresh, and as I also had a drawer full of apples to clear out before Thanksgiving, it was the perfect third victim of our space-making condiment crusade. Fruit butters of all types would be a great addition to a seasonal fruit crisp, as would pumpkin butter if you have any of that laying around. This crisp also allowed me to put a dent in a bag of almond flour taking precious fridge space too, so that was a nice little bonus.
Crisps are by nature, very forgiving in their ability to take on most any ingredient and still taste great. Various nuts and flours work well in the crisp topping, and practically any fruit (fresh or dried), dessert sauce, fresh herbs, or even a spicy chutney can make for a fantastic filling. If it's in your fridge and plays well with sweet things, chances are you can put it to good use in a crisp. Have a blast!
Cheers – Steve
Apple and Cranberry Crisp
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter, cubed
- 4 large apples, peeled, cored and cut into medium dice
- 1/2 cup apple butter
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries (Craisins)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375℉
- Butter an 8"x8" baking dish and set it aside.
- Peel, core and chop the apples to a medium dice and toss them into a bowl with the Craisins, apple butter, lemon juice, granulated sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, salt, and spices. Toss well to combine, then pour the mix into the prepared baking dish.
- In the same mixing bowl toss the chopped pecans, almond flour, brown sugar, oats, and butter. Work together with your fingers until all the dry ingredients are moistened by the butter and the mix resembles a crumble topping. Spread the topping evenly over the apples and place the dish in the oven to bake for 25-30 minutes, until the fruit filling is bubbling, and the topping is nicely browned.