Apple Raisin Oatmeal Crisp

This weekend we went up to my sister Linda's house for a family BBQ at her new home. It's a great house, and she and her husband seem quite happy there. She mentioned she'd be making some homemade vanilla ice cream for dessert, and asked if I wanted to bring something to go along with it. This is an apple and raisin crisp with a crunchy oatmeal topping - it's great served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

APPLE RAISIN OATMEAL CRISP

INGREDIENTS:

For topping:
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces

For filling:
6 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 9x13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Prepare topping - in a medium bowl combine flour, oats, brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.

3. Prepare filling - in a large bowl combine apples and lemon juice and toss to coat. Add raisins, granulated sugar, cornstarch, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and nutmeg, stirring to coat. Spoon into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with topping mixture.

4. Bake for 30 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is golden brown. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream if desired.

Peach Blueberry Cobbler

My hubby asked, very sweetly, if I could make a fruit cobbler so he could have some for dessert after lunch at work. An excuse to cook? For him and his co-workers - a captive audience?? Sure! I thought I'd try a slightly different combination of fruit this time so I combined peaches and blueberries with a sweet crunchy topping of rolled oats and pecans.

PEACH BLUEBERRY COBBLER

INGREDIENTS:

For topping:
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, coarsely chopped
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup pecans, chopped

For filling:
4 cups peaches, peeled and pits removed, sliced 1/2" thick
4 cups blueberries, frozen or fresh
1/2 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl prepare topping: stir together white and brown sugars, baking powder, flour, salt and cinnamon. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the butter, egg and vanilla. Add rolled oats and pecans - mix thoroughly. Dough will be crumbly. Set aside.

3. In another bowl prepare filling: combine peaches and blueberries. Add sugar and cornstarch, stirring to coat. Spoon into 9x13 baking pan, spreading evenly. Crumble reserved topping evenly over the fruit layer.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

Happy Father's Day everyone! I hope those who had a chance to spend some time with their dads took advantage of it and had a great day. Recently my husband's family sadly lost a few close family members and it's really reminded me how precious life is and what a small amount of time we have with the people we love. Although I had to work on Father's Day, I was bound and determined to see my dad so I made dinner the night before to bring down to my parent's house after work. Nothing says, "I love you Dad!" like a ginormous lasagna and a dessert you know he'll love, I say! Everyone has their favorite way to make lasagna so I won't bother posting a recipe, but here's a pic for your viewing pleasure. Mine was made with beef and Italian sausage in a burgundy wine marinara, with lots of Ricotta, Mozzarella and Provolone cheeses. We had breadsticks and Ceasar salad as well:

For dessert I wanted to make something I knew my dad would really like. He's always loved rhubarb so I decided to make a strawberry rhubarb cobbler with a sweet oatmeal topping. It has a great sweet/tangy flavor and the topping is like an oatmeal cookie!

STRAWBERRY RHUBARB COBBLER

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 cups sliced fresh strawberries
4 cups diced rhubarb

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup rolled oats

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large bowl mix granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, strawberries and rhubarb. Place the mixture in a 9x13 inch baking dish.

3. In a medium bowl (using a pastry blender) mix flour, brown sugar, butter, oats, cinnamon and nutmeg until crumbly. Stir in chopped walnuts. Crumble evenly on top of the rhubarb and strawberry mixture.

4. Place pan on middle rack of oven and place a separate baking sheet on the rack below to protect in case of overflow. Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until topping is crisp and lightly browned. Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if desired.