Crisps
are probably one of the easiest baked desserts anyone can make. They are made by covering a fruit filling with a crumb topping and baked. Crisps are best served warm with whipped or ice cream.
Fillings
are made with just about any fruit. It can be fresh, but a liquid and a thickener, like flour, may also be needed. A canned pie filling can make this an even easier dessert.
Basic Toppings
almost always consist of flour, sugar, and butter. The sugar may vary between brown and white. Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and mace may be added. Oatmeal and nuts are also used occasionally. The topping ingredients are mixed together until it resembles coarse crumbs. Then the crumbs are sprinkled over the fruit filling.
Baking
crisps is typically done in square or rectangular pans, but other bakeware, such as a souffle dish, can be used. Baking them in a regular oven allows for delectable aromas, but the microwave is quicker. In the regular oven, the crisp is cooked at 350 to 375 degrees F. for 30 minutes to an hour. Fresh fruit fillings need to be baked longer than a canned filling. Microwave cooking cuts the time down to 15 minutes.
Recipes:
Apple Crisp
Applesauce Crisp
Basic Oatmeal Crisp - Works with any fruit
Canned Fruit Crisp
Cherry Crisp
Peach Crisp
