cherry crisp

Cherries are crazy in season right now. Little three-wheeled trucks (the ones farmers use) overflow with the burgundy bounty and little homemade signs reading, 1.50, with a magic marker are all the advertisement necessary for passersby to pick up a bag. For two pounds of gloriously sweet cherries, 1.50 seems too small a price to pay, but make sure you don’t tell the fruit guy that. (Oops.) 

Cherry Crisp

(based on this recipe)

1 1/2 pound cherries

1/4 sugar

1 tbs flour

1 tbs lemon juice

2/3 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

pinch salt

1 tbs butter

1 tbs olive oil

1 tbs almonds

Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat an 8-inch-square baking dish (I used two small baking dishes) with cooking spray. To prepare filling, combine cherries, sugar, flour and lemon juice in a large bowl; toss to coat. Place the filling in the prepared baking dish. Make topping. Mix flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl with a fork. Add butter and oil and blend with your fingertips until dry ingredients are moistened. Sprinkle the topping evenly over cherries. Sprinkle with almonds (or walnuts). Bake, uncovered, until the fruit is bubbly and tender and the topping is lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes more. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Today I’m jam packed with lessons and Zumba and so I’m saving this sweet, tart treat for that beautiful moment when I come home, sink on the couch and listen to Manu pretend to speak English and laugh. :) But I did take a bite and that crunchy almond topping? Yup. It's the bomb dot com, and worth way more than 1.50!