Full disclosure: it was a rough autoimmune week over here – mentally and physically. So while I was very, VERY glad for the weekend, I’m haven’t been feeling quite as upbeat as usual. That being said, I spent a very nice Saturday evening & Sunday with C – worked out like a crazy today which helps, at least mentally.
I’m keeping this relatively short, but I wanted to share this crisp with you – it’s gluten free, refined sugar free, dairy free & vegan! I had half a bag of cranberries hanging out in my freezer that I wanted to use before they felt too out of season – plus, crisps are easy and delicious. I think this might actually be one of the best crisps I’ve ever made – at least, it’s probably my favorite that I’ve ever made, and that’s saying a lot!
I really couldn’t stop eating it today; very nearly all of it is gone (to be fair, we both worked out hard today so it was a great post workout snack.)
I hope everyone enjoyed their weekends! I’m bummed it’s finished already – can we get on this 4-day workweek train already? Sheesh. Looking forward to the next one! Something grapefruity is on the menu I think; I have some coming in my imperfect produce box this week. Stay tuned :)
Apple, Cranberry, Date & Ginger Crisp
Refined sugar free, gluten free, dairy free & vegan. Yield: 1 9″ crisp; serves several. A Wait are those Cookies original.
5 small granny smith apples, chopped into cubes
1/2 c fresh cranberries (or frozen)
5 large medjool dates, chopped
1 tbsp tapioca starch
1 tbsp maple
1/4 c water
1 cup old-fashioned oats (use certified gluten-free oats for a gluten-free crisp)
½ cup firmly packed almond flour
½ cup chopped pecans
1/4 c unsweetened shredded coconut
2 tbsp maple syrup
heaping ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 c coconut oil, melted
1/3 c dried ginger, chopped (mine isn’t crystalized; if yours is, thats fine!)
Preheat the oven to 350.
Toss apples, cranberries and dates into your baking dish of choice (my dish is 8×8, 2 qt capacity; 9″ square or 9″ deep pie dish would also be fine). In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the tapioca starch, maple, water until combined. Pour the mixture over the fruit and toss to combine. Bake for 20 minutes.
While the filling is baking, make the crisp. In a mixing bowl, stir together the oats, almond flour, chopped pecans, shredded coconut, and salt. Mix in the maple, vanilla, and coconut oil, followed by the chopped ginger. Stir until everything is mixed thoroughly. Stir in chocolate.
Once the filling has baked for 20 minutes, stir it and and redistribute evenly in the dish. Plop spoonfuls of the crisp topping evenly over the filling – no need to pack it down. Return the dish to the oven and bake for 25 to 30 more minutes, until the filling is bubbling around the edges and the top is golden.
Let the crisp rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Keep leftovers, covered, in the fridge for 2-3 days (yeah right – would take some major feat to make it last more than overnight..)
Wait...are those...cookies?! 