Berry Pickin’

One of my all time favorite desserts is a fruit crisp. They are super simple to make, showcase all the best fruit of a season, and are so yummy! That’s why last week when the kids and I decided to go berry picking at our local U-pick farm, I knew there would be a crisp at the end of this story. I look forward to it all spring, the day the Olallieberries are ready for pickin’. We picked and picked and picked until our fingers were stained and we had 6 heaping pints of olallieberries and boysenberries in our baskets.

First, we scooped mounds of boysenberries over angel food cake

In the morning we piled the combo high on top of 4th of July pancakes.

Red White and Blue Pancakes

Then, the grand finale, a fruity crisp. Now, as we spent nearly 2 hours picking away at the berry farm, my plum tree was ripening dozens of plums. They were falling off the tree 10 at a time. It desperately needed some attention. So what does a gal like me do with way too many plums and berries? Bake a crisp of course! As you may expect, there are not many plum olalliberry crisp recipes out there – until now!

Olalliberry Plum Crisp
For the filling
12 medium plums, cut in wedges
1 pt. olalliberries
zest of 1 orange
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. granulated sugar
2 tblsp. flour

For the topping
1 c. flour
1 c. oats
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 stick cold butter, diced

Preheat oven to 375. Gently toss together the filling. Place in a baking dish. Mix together the topping and sprinkle on top of the fruit mixture. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Topping should be lightly browned and the juices are bubbly. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Before putting in the oven

Isn’t she a beauty?

Did you know that there is an even simpler way to make a quick fruit crisp anytime you’d like in just a couple of minutes? Here’s how to make an easy crisp topping to add to any fruit you have on hand. Make extra and freeze it for a month or two. Just spray your baking dish with a non-stick spray (I use individual ramekins for this), toss in your fruit, dot with butter, and sprinkle your pre-made topping. Bake at 375 until fruit is soft and bubbly (about 15 minutes) and you have yourself a delish fresh fruit crisp in minutes.

(was one vacation making these, please excuse iphone photography!)