Cherry-Almond Crumble

IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH FORUM Healthy Heart Recipes
1

Cherry-Almond Crumble

Fresh cherries herald the arrival of true summer. While cherries are delicious eaten out of hand, they develop an intense flavor when cooked in a crumble or pie filling. A small proportion of tart raspberries balances the perfume of sweet cherries in this lightened-up crumble. The almonds in the topping are a natural complement. Like shelling peas and shucking corn, pitting cherries is one of summer’s special rituals. You can purchase gadgets designed for pitting both cherries and olives at kitchenware stores.

Ingredients:

11/2 pounds sweet cherries (5 cups), rinsed and pitted
1 cup raspberries, rinsed
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon kirsch or brandy (optional)

Topping

2/3 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon canola oil
3 tablespoons frozen orange-juice concentrate
1 tablespoon chopped slivered almonds

1-1/2 cups reduced-fat vanilla ice cream or nonfat vanilla frozen yogurt (optional)

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat an 8-by-8-inch baking dish (or similar 11/2- to 2-quart dish) with cooking spray.

  2. To prepare fruit: Combine cherries, raspberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and kirsch (or brandy), if desired, in a large bowl; toss to coat. Transfer to prepared baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

  3. Meanwhile, make topping. Mix flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl with a fork. Add butter and blend with a pastry blender or your fingertips. Add oil and stir to coat. Add orange-juice concentrate and blend with your fingertips until dry ingredients are moistened.

  4. When fruit has baked for 20 minutes, stir it and sprinkle topping evenly over the surface. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake, uncovered, until fruit is bubbly and tender and topping is lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes more. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream (or frozen yogurt), if desired.

Makes 8 servings, 1/2 cup each.

Per serving: 287 calories; 6 g total fat (2 g sat, 2 g mono); 7 mg cholesterol; 56 g carbohydrate; 4 g protein; 5 g fiber; 47 g sodium.

B-man :wink: