If I ever get a divorce, it will be for one reason, and one reason only: my husband does not like crisps, crumbles, and cobblers. It is truly mind-boggling, because certainly these are some of the best desserts ever invented. And while dude will eat pie like there’s no tomorrow, he says that crisps, crumbles, and cobblers are “soggy bread.” He is, of course, wrong.
It keeps me up at night sometimes, wondering how I can make a fruit crisp that will convert him to my side, but I’m pretty sure there is some kind of childhood psychological trauma he endured involving a peach cobbler. Perhaps a bully shoved some squishy dessert down his pants? I could see how an experience like that could make someone not want to eat it. Almost. I still think I could overcome it for a good cobbler.
When summer rolls around and my eyes get all a-twinkle at the mention of making fruit cobblers, my husband moans loudly. He begs me not to do it. “They’re the WORST,” he says, “Nobody likes them.” But you and me know better, right? He is the one on the outside. We are in-the-know. We’re the cool kids. We understand that a good cherry crisp is second to none.
I almost put chocolate in this because I know that you all love chocolate. But I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I have a tumultuous relationship with chocolate, and I don’t want him anywhere near my fruit, most of the time. I just love baked fruit with no bells and whistles. Okay, maybe one whistle. I snuck some amaretto in here. Cherries need almonds! They are besties!
So I know that technically this is a crumble because I put some oats in the topping. But cherry crisp rolls off the tongue easier. Let’s just go with it. Hopefully the dessert police don’t come and give me a ticket for erroneous dessert naming. I have heard there’s a pretty steep fine.
INDIVIDUAL CHERRY ALMOND CRISPS
- 1 cup (230 grams) cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (100 grams) rolled oats
- ½ cup (70 grams) raw almonds, chopped
- 4 cups (about 2 pounds) sweet cherries, pitted (you can use frozen!)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon amaretto
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a large bowl, combine butter cubes and flour. Use your fingers or a fork to combine until a rough meal forms. Add sugar, oats, and almonds and combine with your fingers or a fork. There should be some larger chunks and some finer parts. If you find that the butter gets too soft and the mixture becomes paste-like, pop the bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes or so until it is cool again, then crumble it up with your fingers. Store in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.
- Combine all filling ingredients in a large bowl and toss with a rubber spatula until the cherries are coated. Distribute cherry filling among 8 ramekins. Spoon a heaping mound of topping over each ramekin (about 90 grams of topping per ramekin). Do not pack the topping down! It needs a little room to breathe.
- Place ramekins on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the topping is browned and the cherry filling has begun to bubble up from the bottom (you should be able to see the red juices on the top of the ramekins. If not, leave them in for a bit longer.)
- Cool on a wire rack and serve warm or at room temperature. Vanilla ice cream is optional, but definitely appreciated.
