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No-Bake Cherry Crisp

Most fruit crisps are baked in the oven, but versions of this sweet cherry crisp either had stodgy, sticky fillings, or boiled over the topping, making it soggy. After testing various methods, we found that the best was actually the easiest: After browning a topping of almonds, sugar, flour, and butter in a skillet on the stovetop, we use the same pan to cook the filling. Starting with frozen pitted cherries is convenient, and once combined with sugar, lemon juice, and almond and vanilla extracts, they taste just as good as fresh. Cornstarch thickens the filling to a syrupy consistency, and dried cherries soak up excess moisture while adding texture.

Course: Dessert

Keyword: cherry

Servings:

Author: Cook's Country | June/July 2014

Ingredients

TOPPING

3/4 cup sliced almonds
2/3 cup 3 1/3 ounces all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed 1 3/4 ounces light brown sugar
1/4 cup 1 3/4 ounces granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

FILLING

1/3 cup 2 1/3 ounces granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 lbs. frozen sweet cherries no need to thaw
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon almond extract optional
2/3 cup dried cherries optional

Instructions

FOR THE TOPPING: Finely chop 1/4 cup almonds. Combine flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and chopped almonds in bowl. Stir in melted butter until mixture resembles wet sand and no dry flour remains.
Toast remaining 1/2 cup almonds in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat until just beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Add flour mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to plate to cool. Wipe out skillet.
FOR THE FILLING: Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and cornstarch in small bowl; set aside. Combine cherries, lemon juice, vanilla, salt, almond extract, and remaining sugar in now-empty skillet. Cover and cook over medium heat until cherries thaw and release their juice, about 7 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking. Uncover, stir in dried cherries, and simmer until cherries are very tender, about 3 minutes.
Stir in cornstarch mixture and simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and distribute topping evenly over filling. Return skillet to medium-low heat and cook until filling is bubbling around edges, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Note: I did not add the dried cherries or the almond extract.