Blackberry Crisp

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Fruit crisp: one of summer’s most beloved desserts! Everyone enjoys a delicious fruit crisp (perhaps with some coconut vanilla bean ice cream on top!), and with all of the fresh fruit in season just dripping with juicy ripeness the possibilites are endless. Try out this blackberry crisp by Jennifer Cornbleet, and try her other variations mentioned below as well for a blueberry, cherry, or peach version. We’ll have a serving of all 4, please!

Ingredients

• 4 cups fresh or thawed and drained frozen blackberries
• 3/4 cup pitted medjool dates, soaked in water for 10 minutes and drained
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 cups *Crumble Topping

*RAW CRUMBLE TOPPING (yields 2 cups)

• 2 cups raw walnuts or pecans, unsoaked
• 1⁄2 cup unsweetened shredded dried coconut
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup raisins, unsoaked
• 8 pitted medjool dates, unsoaked
• 1⁄4 cup whole cane sugar, coconut sugar, or maple sugar (optional, for a sweeter topping)

Blueberry or Cherry Crisp: Replace the blackberries with 4 cups of fresh or thawed and drained frozen blueberries or pitted cherries.

Peach Crisp: Replace the blackberries with 4 cups of fresh or thawed frozen peach slices. Add 1/8 teaspoon of ground nutmeg to the filling if desired.

Instructions

1. Put 1 1/2 cups of the blackberries along with the dates and lemon juice in a food processor fitted with the S blade and process until smooth.

2. Transfer to a medium bowl, add the remaining 2 1/2 cups of blackberries, and stir gently until well combined.

3. To assemble the crisp, press 1/2 cup of the topping into an even layer in an 8-inch square glass baking dish.

4. Spread the blackberry filling on top using a rubber spatula.

5. With your hands, knead pieces of the remaining 1 1/2 cups of the topping until they stick together. Lay these pieces of topping on the filling to form a cobbled appearance, allowing some of the filling to peek through.

6. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve chilled, at room temperature, or warm (see warming option). Covered with plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator, Blackberry Crisp will keep for 3 days.

*RAW CRUMBLE TOPPING

1. Place the walnuts, coconut, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a food processor fitted with the S blade and process until coarsely ground.

2. Add the raisins and dates and process until the mixture breaks down into coarse crumbs and begins to stick together. Don’t overprocess.

3. Add the optional whole cane sugar and process briefly. Stored in a sealed container, Crumble Topping will keep for one month in the refrigerator or three months in the freezer.

Notes

Warming Option: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Turn off the oven, insert the crisp, and warm for 15 minutes. Alternatively, heat for 30 minutes in a food dehydrator set at 105 degrees F.