Sometimes fresh is not always available.
In early Klondike days, canned or dried fruit was the norm. Many modern-day Northerners dry fruit for lightweight hiking food or for long-term winter storage.
This quick and nutritious crisp dessert can be made using frozen, dried or canned fruit. While summer may seem eons away, this is a good time to dig into your horded supply of frozen Yukon berries.
Served warm with yogurt or ice cream, this colourful crisp is Northern comfort food, perfect for a cold winter evening.
Fruit Crisp
INGREDIENTS:
4 apples, peeled or peels on, cored and sliced or use 2 cups dried apple slices (½ cup packed, dried slices roughly equals one fresh apple)
1 can (398 ml) pears, drained and sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup dried fruit of any of the following:
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup dried apricots, cut in half
¼ cup dried strawberries or chopped, dried prunes
¼ cup dried cherries or blueberries
Or, use 2 cups of assorted frozen berries.
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup rolled oats
½ cup butter
PREPARATION:
• Butter an eight- by eight-inch glass baking pan or other suitable ovenproof baking dish.
• Heat oven to 350F.
• Cut and slice fresh apples into the prepared pan or, if using dried apple slices, soak in ½ cup warm water for about five minutes.
• Pre-soak your chosen one cup of dried fruit in ½ cup warm water. Pre-soaking or re-hydrating dried fruit will result in a moist crisp.
• Add the sliced pears, lemon juice and the pre-soaked dried fruit (including any leftover liquid) into the prepared baking pan.
• Using a food processor or handheld pastry blender, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and rolled oats.
• Pulse lightly or mix just to combine.
• Add in the butter and briefly mix again.
• Sprinkle the topping over the prepared fruit.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until fruit is bubbly and tender.
