Easy Apple-Pear Crisp with Walnuts
from Sweet and Easy Vegan: Treats Made with Whole Grains and Natural Sweeteners
(c) 2012 Robin Asbell
Everybody needs a fallback dessert. This crisp is a perfect one to keep in mind. As long as you have apples and pears on hand, you can whip them together with some pantry staples to make a casserole full of goodness. Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream makes a great topping for this dessert, if you can hold back from devouring the crisp long enough to get it out of the freezer.
Serves 6 to 8
INGREDIENTS
2 lb/910 g Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and thickly sliced
1½ lb/680 g pears, peeled, cored, and thickly sliced
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp arrowroot starch or cornstarch
1 cup/100 g rolled oats
¾ cup/150 g Sucanat or granular palm sugar
½ cup/65 g whole-wheat pastry flour
½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ cup/60 ml walnut or canola oil
¼ cup/60 ml apple juice concentrate, thawed
½ cup/55 g walnuts, coarsely chopped
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C/gas 6. Lightly oil a 12-by-8-in/30.5-by- 20-cm glass or ceramic baking dish.
Put the apples and pears in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the lemon juice, vanilla, and arrowroot starch and toss until the fruit is evenly coated.
In a medium bowl, combine the oats, Sucanat, flour, salt, and cinnamon and stir until well mixed. In a cup or small bowl, stir the walnut oil and apple juice concentrate together. Pour into the oat mixture and stir until well combined. Stir in the walnuts. Scatter the mixture over the fruit, distributing it evenly.
Cover and bake for about 25 minutes, until the juices start to bubble. Uncover and bake for 30 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the juices are bubbling thickly around the edges.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm. Stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, the crisp will keep for about 1 week.