Strawberry Crisp

look at that color! nature gives us amazing beauty.

Do you say crisp or crumble? I say crisp. They’re the same thing essentially fruit topped with a crispy, crumbly (see where the names comes from ha!) crust baked until bubbly, browned and lovely! 

It’s the 4th of July weekend! I wanted to share a strawberry recipe since right now we’re ending our strawberry season. Also a new Strawberry Shortcake season started last week too, We’re happy! Strawberries are a big part of me when I was born I had a strawberry on my head and a family friend used to call me strawberry, for my strawberry colored hair, and when  I was growing up I lived right across the street from a strawberry picking farm (Wait am I Strawberry Shortcake?!) We didn’t go often (they used pesticides, my mom was “green” before that was a term!) but we did go every once in awhile. So whenever I pick strawberries it takes me right back to being a kid and we haven’t missed a picking season since we had babies. My family doesn’t live there anymore but for sentimental reasons we of course would go across from my old house. Sadly this year the farm closed for pick your own so we had to go to our usual apple spot which we enjoy so that was OK. Strawberry picking is so much fun and we always get more then intended. We went twice, I have a wonderful stock of strawberry jam and some left over for desserts! (And just eating them!) 

I never feel like I’m fully enjoying summer I think since I just know it goes so fast. This strawberry crisp helps us feel like we’re really soaking up all that summer has to offer!

This is one of the first recipes I learned as a kid and because of my mom making me keep her recipes a secret (which I love) this isn’t “the” recipe but this is my version that I use whenever I feel rebellious and think I can do it better then my her, I come close but she still wins. But honestly if it’s any version of a fruit crisp the person who gets to eat it wins! 

First cover a baking dish (any baking dish I used minis for the main picture) with the berries. The bigger surface area of the dish the more topping, this pan is a 7×10. Then sprinkle filling ingredients over the top, it will mix in as it bakes. 

  
This recipe is more about eyeballing then measurements. It should look like this (nice and crumbly and every bit touched with the butter like wet sand) and if you need to add more flour and then more butter while mixing it that’s OK you’ll just end up with more topping and that can’t be bad!

  

Strawberry Crisp

Serves 4-6 (4 in our house the daddy can’t resist!)

Filling:

Strawberries washed, hulled and cut into bite size pieces (leave small ones whole if any)

2 tbls flour

3 tbls sugar

Juice of half a lemon 

Topping:

1 cup Flour 

1/4 Granulated sugar

3 tbls Brown sugar

1/3 cup Butter softened 

1/2 tsp All spice 

Pinch salt 
Directions:

In a baking dish cover bottom with one or two layers of strawberries. (The more berries the more servings you’ll get) Sprinkle flour, sugar lemon juice over them. It will bake down in a nice sauce. 

Make the topping by combining the flour, sugars, salt and all spice. Then work the butter in with your index finger and thumb in a rubbing motion until it resembles course crumbs. Sprinkle all over the strawberries and bake at 375 degrees until brown and bubbly about 30-40 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream. (Homemade is even better!)

Cooks note: all spice is its own spice with a lovely orange undertone that goes nicely with the strawberry but any warm/sweet spice you like will work. Top with fresh blueberries for a red white and blue holiday treat!

Recipe by Malina Kalogrides

Enjoy!