Apple and Pear Crumble

This great dessert is from The New Vegetarian Epicure. I've used it with several combinations of fruit - basically whatever I have on hand - and it's always been good. While the apple and pear combination is excellent, I've also had great results with mixed berries (strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, cherries). An easy dessert with ingredients you probably have on hand.

• Ready In: 1 hr 5 mins
• Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• 4 -5  tart apples
• 4 -5  pears (if using other mixed fruits instead, just be sure to have about 4 lbs total)
• 3  tablespoons lemon juice
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1⁄2 cup raisins
• 1  dash nutmeg
• 1  dash cinnamon (or any other spice you love!)

• Crumble

• 2⁄3 cup flour
• 3⁄4 cup brown sugar
• 1  pinch salt
• 1  teaspoon cinnamon
• 1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 5  tablespoons butter
• 2  tablespoons  ice water
• 1  cup rolled oats

Directions

1. Prepare fruit (peel, pit, whatever it takes). If large, cut into 1/4 thick slices.
2. Toss in a bowl with lemon juice, sugar and raisins and a bit of nutmeg and cinnamon (I usually add allspice because I love it).
3. Combine the flour, sugar, salt and spices.
4. Cut in the butter and mix till mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. There should be no big chunks of butter left. (I usually do this with my hands - don't have a food processor).
5. Sprinkle in the ice water, mix till the crumble mixture holds together and forms little clumps.
6. Add the rolled oats and mix. If the mixture seems sticky, add more oats.
7. Spread fruit evenly in a large glass or ceramic baking dish.
8. Scatter topping evenly over the fruit, leaving some of it in larger chunks and some in fine crumbles.
9. Bake the Crumble at 375 for about 40-45 minutes or until the top is crisp and brown and the juice is bubbling up around the edges.
10. Serve it hot or warm, with ice cream, whipped cream, or all by itself.