Cranberry Sauce Crisp

I have a daughter who plays hockey. She's 11, bright-eyed, friendly and focused on the ice. She cheers the loudest (really, I'm not exaggerating, she's loud) and laughs the hardest. If I ever wonder where she is all I have to do is cock my head like a bird-dog and listen. If she's in the vicinity, I'll hear her. Being a quiet, reserved person myself I can hardly believe she came out of me and it's kind of a thrill.



Hockey is a busy sport with practices and/or games four times a week at arenas all over town so we're on the move a lot. This weekend was no exception and while I love the good-natured, fleece-clad parents with perpetual hat hair and pink noses, I do miss having time to cook, especially with all the Thanksgiving leftovers hanging out in my fridge.

But tonight I managed to squeak out a turkey tettrazini-style casserole and this bright and tangy crisp. A great way to use up my mom's cranberry sauce and some apples I used as a centerpiece.

Cranberry Sauce Crisp

Makes one 8 x 8 pan

1 cup leftover cranberry sauce (mine was this one without the walnuts)
4 small apples, peeled and diced to cranberry size
1-2 tablespoons sugar*

Topping
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, diced
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

* optional—if you think your cranberry sauce is too tart

Preheat oven to 350º

Toss cranberry sauce, apples and sugar together in an approximate 8" x 8" baking dish.

Cut the butter, flour and brown sugar together by pulsing in a food processor or by hand with your fingers until the butter is pea-sized. Mix in oatmeal, walnuts and salt by hand.

Sprinkle topping evenly over fruit and bake for 45-50 minutes until the top is brown and crunchy and the fruit is bubbling up the sides a bit.

Serve with ice cream, yogurt or a drizzle of cream.