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| Crisp or Crumble? |
The other night a friend of ours made a “crumble” for
dessert. We were in New York. It seemed a lot like the “crisp” I make so I
asked him what was in his crumble. The ingredients were identical to what I put
in my crisp. This then launched a discussion about the difference between a crisp and crumble.
Interestingly, we have a perception that there is a
difference. Depending on who you talk to the differences are defined by which
one includes nuts, oats or biscuit dough. Funnily, also depending on who you
talk to, the differences can be the opposite of what you think. There is no
clear distinction. Not even by country or region. Simply, it is based on your
own frame of reference and tradition.
For me, I grew up using the term “crisp” for a fruit based dessert
that was topped with a flour, butter, oat and brown sugar mixture and baked. A
“crumble” was more like a streusel topping which had more sugar and no oats.
Other fun names that are similar to a crisp or crumble are slump, grunt, buckle
and cobbler. You may just have to try them all!
What I like about a crisp is that it is more fruit and a lot
less crust or topping. In my pursuit to keep making everything a little bit
healthier, I have updated my crisp to be gluten free. The recipe is below.
Gluten Free Apple
Crisp
Ingredients~
⅔ cup oat flour
½ cup rolled oats
¾ cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into pieces
7 cups Fuji or Gala apples, sliced and peeled
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ cup granulated sugar
Cooking spray
Directions~
1. Combine first six ingredients. Mix by hand or in a food
processor until moist and crumbly.
2. Place apples in a large bowl; sprinkle with lemon rind,
lemon juice and toss well. Next sprinkle with granulated sugar and remaining
teaspoon of cinnamon; toss until mixed well.
3. Spray a 9x9 inch or 7x11 inch baking dish with cooking
spray. Place the apples in the dish. Top with the oat mixture.
4. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Then reduce heat to
350 degrees for an additional 40 minutes, until apples are tender and the
topping is crisp and brown.
Serves 8. Calories per serving: 290.
Enjoy and Live Vibrant!
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