Blueberry Crisp

Blueberries are a favorite of mine. They are a super fruit containing all kinds of good stuff like vitamins and anti-oxidants. Full of flavor, they add so much to a variety of dishes. Pancakes, muffins, salads, sauces, cocktails, and the list goes on (including a delicious crisp, of course!).

The occasion to make the crisp was the result of participating in a twitter chat. Driscoll’s Berries had organized the #DriscollsMoments chat to coincide with a live cooking demonstration by chef and cookbook author Rick Rodgers. Participants were given the opportunity to receive a kit containing recipes, coupons, berry strainer, apron, shopping bag, coupons, Rick’s Thanksgiving 101 cookbook, and a few other items. It was a very nice kit indeed:

Coupons in hand, I shopped for the berry chat. Raspberries were on the list but I could not help getting excited when I saw blueberries. Fall is not exactly blueberry season. The grocery store where I usually shop has not had them for a few weeks. This shopping trip was at Whole Foods and they had plenty of them. It was a nice surprise and well worth the extra drive. I used the coupons for raspberries plus a big stock of blueberries. They were big and plump and so yummy looking.

The recipe I chose to make for the chat was the Holiday Warm Brie with Honeyed Raspberries and Pistachios. Warm, soft spreadable brie cheese with berries and nuts – yum! That and some crackers or crostini with a glass or so of wine = a good meal to me. It is also a nice and festive appetizer for the holidays; full of color, warmth, and flavor for the season.

The supply of blueberries was calling out to me. First I thought about pancakes but then I decided to go with a dessert. I looked through my recipes and found the one for a blueberry crisp. It is actually a recipe and a half. Why? Because you only use half of the topping mixture and freeze the rest. You have crisp topping ready for the next time there is an abundance of fruit or an occasion where a quick dessert is needed. How convenient! Blueberries this time, perhaps apples or peaches the next. A nice warm fruit crisp is great for any occasion.

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Blueberry Crisp

Fruit mixture:
5 cups blueberries
2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Juice from ½ lemon
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Topping mixture:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup old-fashioned oats
2 sticks unsalted butter, cold and diced

Pre-heat oven to 375°F. Butter the sides and bottom of a 1½ quart baking dish. In a large bowl, gently stir together fruit mixture and pour in prepared baking dish. In a food processor fitted with a knife blade, add flour, sugars, salt, cinnamon, and oats. Pulse to combine. Add butter to flour mixture and pulse to combine. Do not over process. The butter should be cut into the flour mixture but not to where it comes together like a dough (think crumbles). Spread half of the topping mixture over the blueberries. Bake for about 45 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature. Freeze remaining half of topping mixture for future use.

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