What is crisp topping made of?

What makes a crisp a crisp is the inclusion of oats in the topping. That's the big difference between a crisp and a crumble, which does not contain oats.

Should you cover apple crisp after baking?

Not right away. This will make your crisp soggy. Let the crisp cool completely at room temperature if not serving right away. Then loosely cover the crisp, that way moisture is not trapped and condensing on the topping.

How can you tell when apple crisp is done?

You'll know this cherry apple crisp is done baking when the topping is lightly browned and the fruit is soft and bubbling. You can always do a quick taste test and make sure the fruit is cooked to your liking. Just don't burn your mouth!

Apple Cherry Crisp

Description

This apple cherry crisp is the crunchiest crisp you'll ever make. Flavored with almonds, coconut, oranges, and spices, it'll soon be your favorite rendition of the classic dessert.

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the crumble topping:

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup oats
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon almond extract
6 tablespoons butter, softened and cut into small pieces

For the fruit filling:

1 1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples, cored and cubed
1 1/2 pounds of sweet or sour cherries
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 teaspoons cornstarch

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk all of the crumble ingredients (except for the butter) together in a medium bowl. Add the butter and use your hands to work it into the dry ingredients. Dump this out onto the baking sheet and break the dough mixture into smaller pieces. Set aside.
Combine the apples and cherries with the sugar, spices, and salt in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice and cornstarch until blended, then stir into the fruit. Pour the fruit filling into one baking dish or about six small oven-proof dishes. Either way, place on a baking sheet in case of bubbling over while baking.
Bake the topping on a rack in the middle of the oven while the dish/dishes of fruit are on a rack towards the bottom of the oven. Bake for 20 minutes.
Take both the filling and topping of the oven. The topping will likely have baked into one large piece and that's fine. Just break it up with a spatula into a variety of sized pieces and spread these over the fruit. Put the baking dish back in the middle of the oven for another 15 - 20 minutes. Keep an eye on the topping in the last few minutes to make sure it doesn't brown too much.
Serve the cherry apple crisp warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Notes

You can bake this crisp in one large baking dish or several smaller ones for individual servings.

Inspired by the apple crumble recipe in America's Test Kitchen Cooking School Cookbook.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Category: Desserts
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American