Berry Crisp (Gluten Free)

Attending a July 4th party where some guests avoid wheat, I got a chance to delve into the world of gluten-free cooking. Using fresh summer fruit seemed a no-brainer, so I opted to make a berry crisp.

A crisp is about as simple a baked dessert can get. It usually involves fruit topped with some sort of crumbly crust or pastry, often involving oats, and is a perfect summer dessert, especially topped with vanilla ice cream.

I made sure my rolled oats contained no gluten and bought some gluten-free all purpose flour from Trader Joe’s. (I’ll try actually baking with it sometime soon.) See the recipe below.

Recipe: Berry Crisp

Makes 12 servings

12 cups fresh berries (strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc.)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup flour blend (gluten-free flour works great)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, and grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

Mix together the berries, white sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon until evenly coated and pour into the 9-by-13 dish.

Combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, salt, and butter using your hands or a pastry cutter (or both!) until the dry ingredients are well incorporated with the butter. Some lumps are fine. Add evenly over the berry mix.

Bake about 45 minutes, until the topping is browned and the filling bubbling. Cool 10-15 minutes. Serve alone or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.