Almond Fruit Crisp
Sliced almonds give extra crunch to these yummy individual crisps made with plums and nectarines or peaches. We love desserts, but this one has to be our very favorite. I usually serve it with ice cream.
Sliced almonds give extra crunch to these yummy individual crisps made with plums and nectarines or peaches. We love desserts, but this one has to be our very favorite. I usually serve it with ice cream.
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- dash salt
- 1-1/2 pounds nectarines or peaches, cubed
- 1-1/2 pounds red plums cubed
- almond topping:
- 1/4 cup cold butter cubed
- 3 tablespoons almond paste
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds
- Carbohydrate 59.9533723940091 g
- Cholesterol 30.9873333433254 mg
- Fat 8.40447850297895 g
- Fiber 3.08676235721242 g
- Protein 4.26357940106086 g
- Saturated Fat 3.3580895073511 g
- Serving Size 1 1 (206g)
- Sodium 232.318441860563 mg
- Sugar 56.8666100367967 g
- Trans Fat 0.703246460273931 g
- Calories 320 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large bowl, combine nectarines and plums. Drizzle with lemon juice; toss to coat. Combine the sugar, tapioca and salt; sprinkle over fruit and toss to coat evenly. Let stand for 15 minutes. Spoon into 10 greased 6-oz. custard cups.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter and almond paste until crumbly. Combine egg and extract; stir into crumb mixture just until blended. Sprinkle over fruit. Top with almonds.
- Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until fruit is bubbly and topping is golden brown. Cool for 15-20 minutes before serving.
Quick-cooking tapioca does the heaviest structural lifting in this recipe by absorbing the copious amounts of free liquid released by high-moisture stone fruit during baking. Fresh plums, nectarines, and peaches contain up to 85 percent water. Without a starch thickener, that cellular moisture liquefies the filling completely and prevents the pastry topping from baking properly. Tapioca granules hydrate rapidly at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, gelatinizing starches to trap juices into a stable gel without clouding the fruit flavor.
Fresh fruit behaves entirely differently than canned or frozen alternatives. Frozen fruit suffers cell-wall rupture during ice crystal formation, releasing excess water immediately upon thawing. Fresh fruit retains structural integrity until heat breaks down pectin in the cell walls. Tossing the cubed fruit with sugar and lemon juice and letting it stand for 15 minutes draws out surface moisture via osmosis, preemptively concentrating flavors before the cups enter the oven.
Preserving texture requires careful management of fats. Cutting cold butter and almond paste directly into the dry flour mixture coats proteins in lipids, inhibiting gluten networks that would otherwise toughen the topping. Sliced almonds on the surface undergo Maillard browning when exposed to dry oven heat for 20 minutes, generating pyrazines that contribute nutty aromas.
