Delicious Cherry Crisp

This is another favorite family recipe that I've adapted to use fresh flour and less refined sweetener. It comes from my recently departed Nanny, of Nanny's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake fame among others. It's incredibly fast and simple...my almost 12 year old loves to make it! It takes literally minutes to make and is delicious!

Ingredients

1 cup flour (I use whole wheat pastry flour)

1 cup oatmeal 

1/2 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar (I use sucanat)

2 cans cherries -- or cherry pie filling

Preheat oven to 350. Reserve about 1/2 cup of crumbs for topping. Press crumbs into 9x13 pan on bottoms and edges. Bake for about 5 minutes.

Take out and fill with thickened and sweetened cherries, add crumb topping and bake until bubbly around edges (about 20 minutes).

To sweeten red tart canned cherries: drain liquid into pan and mix in 1/8 cup sugar, 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch (per can). Heat until it bubbles and thickens. Add cherries and let sit in hot thickened juice for a few minutes. (I prefer this route, since the pie filling has red dye 40 and of course the dreaded high fructose corn syrup in it, but I have been known to use the pie filling a time or two when I was super rushed for time.....shhhhh....) 

This has been a huge hit at our bible study group, and pretty much everywhere else I've ever taken it. The crust/topping works great with virtually any kind of fruit filling you'd like to use. I've used it with fresh peaches to make an absolutely delicious cobbler. The proportions are so simple and easy...I pretty much have it memorized! Use cherries or whatever fruit you fancy, whip it up, add a dollop of Cool Whip or some vanilla ice cream, and you have the perfect summer evening treat!


Linked with:

• Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays at Blessed With Grace
• Tuesdays at the Table at All the Small Stuff
• Slightly Indulgent Tuesday at Simply Sugar and Gluten Free
• Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty & Bedlam