Cherry Crisp (with gluten-free option)

About crisps and crumbles

Now, aren’t they one of the best desserts ever? A layer of juicy fruit and a crunchy, buttery topping. 

They take little time to prepare, almost any fruit can be used, no need for baking or knife skills, rustic is what we should aim for, and they are meant to be eaten directly from the pan. Perfection really.

Though both names are often used interchangeably, a crisp includes oats in the topping, and a crumble doesn't. That extra ingredient makes for a crisper topping.

My experience is that you can achieve a super crunchy topping without oats, by decreasing the amount of flour. But that's for another conversation. 

Vintage Kitchen tip: I always have pitted frozen cherries and crumble mixture in the freezer. That way, I can quickly assemble this cherry crisp and have it on the table in 45 minutes.

Ingredient list

• Cherries: can be fresh or frozen. Just make sure they are pitted. Or use a canned cherry pie filling if cherries aren't available.
• Unsalted butter.
• Oats: I use old-fashioned rolled oats (traditional oats) because they have more texture, but you can use instant or quick-cooking oats.
• Flour: almost any type works with this recipe. I usually use all-purpose or cake flour. 
• Sugar: I use brown sugar, but white, granulated sugar works fine. Don't go to the grocery store if you don't have brown.
• Lemon juice: it adds acid and balances out the sugar and butter. Use fresh juice if possible.
• Sliced almonds: will add fantastic texture to the crumble, but they're optional. You can use chopped almonds if that's all you have. Don't refrain from making this dessert just because you don't have almonds. Omit them and substitute with more oats.  

How to make a cherry crisp

Pitting cherries: fresh cherries are easy to work with if you have a cherry pitter. The stones must be removed, otherwise eating this dessert ends up being a pain as you have to spit out every cherry pit while being careful not to crack a tooth. 

Whole or cut cherries: I like to cut them in half so they're easier to eat, but you can chop them in thirds or fourths. Or leave them whole. Be careful not to cut them too small as they will get lost in the crumble when you eat them. 

• Mixing the crumble: there's not much work here, and you only need a medium bowl. If you plan on freezing the crumble, you might consider mixing it in the container that will go to the freezer and have one item less to wash.  
• Cold butter or melted butter: both work for achieving a clumpy mixture that will make the crumble topping have texture. Melted butter is way easier to mix and less messy.
• Sliced almonds are added last because we don't want to break them up too much. Lightly mix them into the rest of the ingredients.

Gluten-free option

Like any type of diet or cooking technique, it’s not hard once you understand what works and what ingredients are available. It turns out that the amount of different gluten-free flours available is mind-blowing.

My favorite flours: I like substituting quinoa flour for the all-purpose, and almond flour for the oats or using gluten-free oats like Quaker's.

Other alternatives: packaged gluten-free flour mixes, buckwheat flour, or amaranth flour. 

Serving

• Favorite way: hands down, I think the best way is barely warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Or use some lightly sweetened whipped cream. Either way, you'll love it! 
• Plain, at room temperature, is my second choice.
• Cold: I don't recommend eating it cold from the refrigerator. It's not bad, but you'll miss the juicy flavor of the cherries with the crunchy topping.