Apple, Pear & Cranberry Crisp with Streusel Topping

A deep and delicious Apple Crisp is one of my favourite ways to celebrate the bonanza of homegrown apples we harvest each autumn from our espaliered apple trees. This recipe for Apple, Pear & Cranberry Crisp is a fruitier version of my Mom's famous Apple Crisp, which like most family recipes, holds a special place in my heart. My Mom isn't much of a baker anymore, but she has mastered some desserts amazingly well, like her Nanaimo Squares, Oatmeal Shortbread Cookies and fabulous Fruit Crisps. Just thinking about them makes my cheeks tingle. This Apple, Pear & Cranberry Crisp still features my Mom's famous sweet streusel topping of oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, butter and flour, which bakes into a buttery, crisp and delicious crumble. This crisp, like all fruit crisps, can be made any time of the year, but taste best when the fruit is plentiful and at their peak.




Apple, Pear & Cranberry Crisp
Serves 4-6

3 golden delicious or Granny Smith apples
2 ripe Bartlett or Anjou pears
3/4 cup fresh cranberries, dried cherries or raisins
2 tbsp ground cinnamon

Topping:
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
2 cup Quaker Quick Oats 
1 cup melted butter


Peel, core and slice the apples and pears into eighths or sixteenths. Place them in a bowl with the cranberries and ground cinnamon, and gently toss to coat then pour into a casserole dish. For the topping, mix the flour and brown sugar in a large bowl, then add the Quaker Oats and mix well. Pour the melted butter over the mixture and again, mix well. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples and bake at 375°F for about 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.