This is the perfect autumn breakfast or dessert. Besides apples, pears, and dried cranberries conjuring up images of the season, there are many fall colors going on in the topping supplied by the oats, raw sunnies, and raw pumpkin seeds. And the autumn spices... cinnamon and nutmeg. What a heavenly aroma in the kitchen as it bakes! All of this... as if it wasn't enough... and there is only 2 tbsp real maple syrup or honey to sweeten the fruit mixture and 2 tbsp in the granola topping with just 1 tbsp olive oil to hold it all together! The apples and pears pack their own natural sweetness. The recipe, shared by Joanne Lusted, came from a monthly e-newsletter I receive from Clean Eating Magazine. You don't need to be a magazine subscriber to receive the newsletter.
Orchard Granola Crisp
Filling:
2 Granny Smith Apples quartered, cored, peeled, and thinly sliced (I used Pink Lady because it’s what I had. Gala would be good, too. I would suggest the sweet apples rather than Granny Smith because they add a natural sweetness which is important because of the miniscule amount of maple syrup used.)
2 pears quartered, cored, peeled and thinly sliced
¼ cup unsweetened dried cherries, coarsely chopped (I used dried cranberries unchopped.)
2 tbsp pure maple syrup or raw organic honey
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp arrowroot powder (I didn’t happen to have any on hand, so I used 1 tbsp Organic Granulated Tapioca which worked perfectly.)
½ tsp cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
Granola Topping:
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup whole raw almonds, lightly crushed (I used slivered almonds.)
1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp pure maple syrup or raw organic honey
1 tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
pinch sea salt
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Combine all filling ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and stir well to combine. Pour mixture into a 2-quart oven-safe dish. Set aside. In another large mixing bowl, prepare topping by combining oats, almonds, sunnies, and pumpkin seeds. Add maple syrup (or honey), oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Stir well to completely coat oats, nuts, and seeds. Spread topping mixture evenly over filling. Cover with aluminum foil (or baking dish lid) and place onto a baking sheet to catch any liquid that boils over during baking. (I did this as a precaution, but nothing boiled over. Maybe because my dish was plenty big.) Place pan into oven and bake for 45 minutes until mixture bubbles at edges. Remove aluminum foil (or lid) and place back into oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until granola topping is crisp and golden brown. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes at room temperature.