Seasonal Ontario Food

Ohhhh, look! It's another take on fruit crisp! Best family winter desserts ever? Or best family desserts, ever? So quick, so easy, so tasty, so adaptable to a moderate level of carbohydrates. I splashed out and used real sugar, in modest quantities. You can add more, or change it to at least partly monkfruit-erythritol blend, depending on your personal preferences.

Apples and plums are a seasonal combination that makes both of them better than they are by themselves. I first ran into them as a pair many years ago in a pie made by Michael Stadtlander and I was blown away by it, and I've been combining them in desserts ever since.

 

6 servings

1 hour 30 minutes - 30 minutes prep time

 

1 cup whole spelt flour 

1/2 cup oat bran

1/2 cup almond flour OR ground almonds

3 tablespoons Sucanat OR dark brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

a few good grates of nutmeg

1/3 cup cold unsalted butter

 

Measure all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl, and mix them. Grate in the butter, and rub it in with your fingers until there is no dry mix left, and it forms coarse crumbs. 

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

2 cups halved Italian (German) plums

4 or 5 medium apples

2 tablespoons sugar

 

Wash the plums, cut them in half and discard the pits. Place them in an 8" x 10" shallow baking (lasagne) pan. Peel, core, and slice the apples and mix them in with the plums, spreading them out into an even layer. Sprinkle them with the sugar. 

 

Sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit and bake for 1 hour at 350°F, until lightly browned and bubbling. Serve warm, or at room temperature. I wouldn't say no to ice cream, whipped cream or custard. 

Last year at this time I made a Brined Roast Turkey.