A Sweet Easter Treat Filed under ( Dessert, fruit )

Hope everyone had a wonderful Sunday/Easter (if you celebrate). I got up a little early and snuck in a four mile run before starting my cooking/baking:

I decided to make two desserts for our Easter meal at my parents, the mint chocolate chip cookies I made on Saturday and a Tropical Fruit Crisp. I used this Food Network recipe as my base and made a good deal of adjustments.

Ingredients:

Topping:

• 1/3 cup tightly packed demerara (unrefined granulated sugar) plus 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
• ½ cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, diced
• 1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 1/3 cup raw, unsalted macadamia nuts, chopped

Fruit

• 1 ripe pineapple, peeled, eyes removed, and cored
• 1 large container of blackberries
• 4 bananas, ripe but not brown
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 1/3-1/2 cup granulated sugar, or more or less depending on the sweetness of fruit
• 2 tablespoons instant (small pearl or minute) tapioca

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Select a wide 2 to 2 1/2-quart baking dish or casserole, large enough to hold 8 cups of fruit and 1 to 2 inches of crumble, spray with Pam, and set aside.

Prepare the topping: in a large bowl combine the sugars and stir with a fork to break up any lumps of demerara. Blend in the flour & oats. With a pastry blender or by rubbing the mixture roughly between your fingers, cut in the butter until the crumble begins to lump together. Add the coconut and the macadamias and work these by hand, kneading the mixture until evenly moist and crumbly, then set aside.

Prepare the fruit: cut the pineapple into roughly 1-inch chunks. Peel and slice the banana, then add to bowl. Add blackberries. Sprinkle the fruit with lime juice and toss gently to coat. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and tapioca, then toss with the fruit. Don't forget to taste! If not sweet enough for your liking, add another few tablespoons of sugar. If the sweetness is more that you care for, add another squeeze of lime.

Spoon the fruit into the baking dish. Sprinkle the crumble mixture evenly over the top. Set the dish in the preheated oven and bake for about 45 minutes, or until the topping is a rich golden brown in spots and the juices from the fruit are visibly bubbling up through the crumble. Remove from the oven and cool at least 20 minutes before serving. (The crumble may be baked up to 2 days ahead and reheated in a 350 degree F oven for 15 minutes before serving.) Serve warm or at room temperature, with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of thick yogurt, lightly sweetened with flavorful honey.

Prior to baking:

And after:

This was SO tasty! I also made up some hummus which I served with veggies and pita chips (not shown):

Josh and I drove up to my parents where we enjoyed a wonderful Easter lunch/dinner(my mom made up ham, a spinach salad, potatoes, coleslaw, and my Aunt brought a green bean dish). Me & My parents:

My cousin & Aunt:

I'm rarely have a drink, so I stuck to water, but my parents did serve up some fun beverages including tiny Coronitas and Coronas (perfect for the summer like weather):

I love my parents house! The views outside are just beautiful:

Josh & I on the porch:

My parents massive yellow lab tried to hop in the picture action:

What did you do this weekend? Any BAoK??? Shoot me an email if you do a BAoK!