RECIPE:: RHUBARB + BLUEBERRY FRUIT CRISP

I love fruit crisps. They are one of my favorite desserts, and definitely one of my go-to’s when we have friends or family over for a meal. I have, however, found it impossible to stick to one recipe, or actually stick to a recipe for that matter. I don’t know what it is about fruit crisps, but I always end up trying to wing it. A little of this, a little of that…most times it will end up being scrumptious, but there have been some major fails as well. Live and learn, er, bake and learn.

Recipes are just ideas for food, and there are so many ways to customize something to your own preference and tastes.

For this crisp recipe, I started with this. I intended to follow it verbatim, really I did. I made it for a fairly large dinner party we are hosting, and that’s never really a good time to try to wing something. But gah! I couldn’t help myself.

Here’s what I ended up.

Rhubarb + Blueberry Fruit Crisp

4 cups rhubarb
1 cup blueberries
2 T. liquid (i used a mixture of orange juice + water)
1 T. agave syrup
1 T. honey
orange zest
1/2 T. cornstarch
1 cup oats
1/2 cup-ish sugar
1/4 cup spelt flour
1/8 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp. cinnamon

Combine fruit, agave, honey, and cornstarch in a large bowl. Place fruit mix into a baking dish and zest an orange on top.

Mix remaining ingredients together until crumbly (use a food processor if you don’t want to use your fingers, but I think that hands are a cook’s handiest utensil). Spread crisp mixture over fruit, and bake at 350 degrees for about thirty minutes, or until the top is golden and fruit mixture is thick.

Serve with ice cream or fresh whipped cream.

Notes:
– I added liquid to the fruit mix because I like when a crisp is ooey-gooey. Make sure to add a thickener if you add additional liquid.

– The flours you use are completely interchangeable. I like spelt for baking and I added the buckwheat for nuttiness. You can use all purpose, whole wheat, gluten-free, etc.

What about you: do you like to follow recipes verbatim or add your own spin to something? 

I’d love to hear your thoughts!