Master Recipe for Fruit Crisp

Name: Master Recipe for Fruit Crisp
Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients: 7 cups, fruit, prepared (see below for suggestions); 1 teaspoon, lemon zest, grated; 1 tablespoon, lemon juice; 2/3 cup firmly packed, brown sugar; 1/2 cup, unbleached all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup, quick-cooking oats; 1/2 teaspoon, ground cinnamon or nutmeg; 1/4 teaspoon, table salt; 4 tablespoons, butter, cut into small bits (chilled, if using food processor); 2 tablespoons, vegetable shortening, cut into small bits (chilled, if using food processor); 2 1/2 pounds (1134 grams), apples (about 6 apples), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced; 3 pounds (1361 grams), apricots (15 to 20), pitted and quartered; 2 pounds (907 grams), berries, rinsed and patted dry; if tart, add 1 tablespoon or more of sugar to taste; 2 1/2 - 3 pounds (1134 - 1361 grams), nectarines or peaches (8 to 10 pieces of fruit), peeled, pitted, and cut into sixths; 2 1/2 - 3 pounds (1134 - 1361 grams), pears (6 to 7 pears), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced; 3 pounds (1361 grams), plums (15 to 20), pitted and quartered

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Appears in Cook's Illustrated September/October 1993

Desserts or Baked Goods

Fruit

Fruit Desserts

Make dozens of quick fruit desserts with these simple toppings.

SERVES6

TIME1¼ hours

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

A combination of oats, flour, brown sugar, butter, and vegetable shortening gave us the best topping for our crisp recipe, one that baked up crunchy but still light and tender.

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