A healthier berry crisp

Fruit crisps are delightful all year round, don't you think? Warm apples in the autumn, tart berries over ice cream in the summer. And so easy to make, which always scores a dessert a gold star in my book.

This particular crisp is dairy-free, so The Girl can enjoy it, too. With the usual generous butter in the topping side-stepped, it also becomes low-fat: four grams fat per serving, compared to twelve in my standard fruit crisp recipe.

Mix fruit together with brown sugar and tapioca	Combine oats, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon for the topping
Stir together with egg white, vanilla, juice and just a bit of oil	Coat berries with topping, bake and enjoy!

Recipe below; printable version here.

(PS I like to double the cinnamon and add a touch of nutmeg.)

LOW-FAT, DAIRY-FREE BERRY CRISP

Fruit layer:

• 6 cups fresh or frozen fruit (sliced apples or pears, cherries, raspberries, strawberries, peaches, blueberries or any combination of above)
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp quick-cooking tapioca (not whole pearl)

Topping:

• 1½ rolled oats or Grape-Nuts cereal
• ¼ cup unbleached white flour
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 egg white
• 1 Tbs canola or other vegetable oil
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 Tbs unsweetened apple or orange juice

Preheat the oven to 350°.

In a bowl, mix together the fruit layer ingredients. Pour the fruit evenly into a non-reactive 10-inch pie pan or a 9-inch sqare baking dish and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg white, oil, vanilla, and fruit juice and then stir into the dry ingredients until thoroughly combined. Carefully spread the topping over the fruit (be sure to cover the fruit entirely). Cover and bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and continue to bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the fruit is soft and bubbly and the topping is crisp and golden.

From Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites