Free Salty Sweets by Christie Matheson Page B

combine the remaining 1 cup flour, the cornmeal, the remaining ½ cup granulated sugar, and the salt, and mix quickly to combine. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the topping is coarsely crumbly. Stir in the pine nuts.
Distribute the topping evenly over the peaches and bake until the juices are bubbly and the peaches are tender, 40 to 50 minutes. Serve warm.

Brown Sugar Apple Crisp
    If you're ever looking for a dessert that's easy to throw together, and you want something that's a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, make a fruit crisp. Warm, gooey fruits paired with buttery, cinnamony, brown-sugary topping never miss. Add a dash of salt to the topping, as in this recipe, and serve the crisp warm with ice cream (vanilla is perfect, of course; you could also try it with the Almond Ice Cream on [>] or the Butterscotch Ice Cream on [>] ), and you're in for a treat.
    Â 
    MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS
    Â 
4
pounds apples (preferably a mix of firm varieties, such as Granny Smith, Macoun, and Jonagold), peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch wedges
1
teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1
teaspoon pure almond extract
1
cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1¼
cups packed light brown sugar
3
teaspoons ground cinnamon
1
cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking rolled oats (not instant)
½
teaspoon ground nutmeg
¾
cup (1½ sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1
teaspoon fine sea salt
Grinder sea salt
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, toss the apple wedges with the extracts. Add 1 tablespoon of the flour, ¼ cup of the brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon. Toss to combine, and set aside.
To make the topping, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the remaining 1 cup flour, the remaining 1 cup brown sugar, the oats, the remaining 2 teaspoons cinnamon, the nutmeg, butter, and fine sea salt. Mix on low speed until coarsely crumbly.
Pour the apples into a 9-inch square or a 7 × 11-inch baking dish. Distribute the topping evenly over the apples. Sprinkle a few grinds of sea salt over the topping and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the topping is golden brown and crisp and the juices are bubbling. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve warm.
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    SWEET IDEAS!
In the summer, replace the apples with a mixture of peaches and blueberries or nectarines and raspberries.
Add 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries plus ¼ cup granulated sugar to the apple mixture in Step 2.
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Individual Blueberry-Nectarine Crumbles
    In my opinion, when summer fruits are in season there's no reason to make any dessert other than a fruit dessert. It's the New Englander in me—where I live, these fruits are so fabulous and so fleeting that it feels like a crime not to take advantage of them. Serve these crumbles warm, with a dollop of ice cream, of course.
    Â 
    MAKES 8 SERVINGS
    Â 
2
cups fresh blueberries
2
cups chopped nectarines
½
cup all-purpose flour
3
tablespoons granulated sugar
1
teaspoon pure almond extract (optional)
½
cup packed light brown sugar
½
cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking or instant)
½
cup pecans, chopped
½
teaspoon fine sea salt
¼
cup ( ½ stick) cold unsalted butter
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Toss the blueberries and nectarines with 1 tablespoon of the flour, the granulated sugar, and the almond extract, if desired. Divide the fruits among eight 6-ounce ramekins.
Combine the brown sugar, the remaining 7 tablespoons flour, the oats, pecans, and salt in a medium-size bowl and mix well. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or a fork until the butter is evenly distributed and in pieces about the size of small currants.
Sprinkle the oat mixture over the fruits, dividing it evenly among the ramekins. Bake until the fruit is bubbly and the topping is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly, then serve.
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    SWEET IDEA!
    Replace the blueberries and nectarines with 4 cups of another pair of summer fruits that are in season at the