Plum Crisp

It's been a while since I made this and I'd forgotten I hadn't posted about it. I hope you can still find some plums somewhere to make this because I loved it!

We found some Italian prune plums at the farmers market about a month ago. They weren't sweet enough for snacking in hand, so we decided to make a crisp out of them. 

Don't they look beautiful! 

The crisp was pretty easy and it tasted really good. The crunchy topping perfectly complemented the deep fruity flavor of the filling. I made the filling and mixed together the topping ahead of time so that I could quickly assemble and cook the crisp while I was finishing dinner. Warning- plums make a really good dye, so wear an apron while making this crisp.

 I had about 1/2 pound fewer plums than called for, so I cooked it in a 9" pie pan instead of the suggested 15" x 9". Also, I wanted a thicker topping. Make sure if you use a smaller pan to use a cookie sheet underneath to catch drips when it boils over, demonstrated below. 

Happy crisp making!

Plum Crisp

from epicurious

9x13, 9x15, or 9" pie pan or whatever you have that'll fit it

Topping

3/4 cup sliced almonds (I chopped whole almonds)

1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling

3/4 cup water

4 teaspoons cornstarch

3 pounds Italian prune plums (or other plums)

1/2 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 375

Topping

Toast the almonds either on a baking sheet in the oven or in an un-greased frying pan on top of the stove for 10-12 min.

Blend flour, brown sugar, 1/2 cup oats, cinnamon, salt, and butter in a food processor or blender until blended well, but still somewhat coarse. Combine that with rest of the oats (1/4 cup) and the sliced almonds.

Filling

Cut the plums in half and remove the pit. Combine the water and corn starch in a small bowl. Cook the plums and sugar in a 12 inch skillet until the sugar is melted. Add the cornstarch and water mixture and stir while simmering until thick, about 15 minutes. 

After the mixture is thickened, put it in you baking dish and put the topping evenly on top. Bake until the top is golden, about 40-45 minutes. Let cool slightly (10 minutes) and serve with vanilla ice cream!