Blueberry Crisp with Oatmeal Crust

Recipe Directions

4 cups blueberries
1 stick cold unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick (not old-fashioned) rolled oats*
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon almond extract
Vanilla ice cream, for serving, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Rinse berries in a colander and set aside to drain. Remove paper wrapper from butter and set it aside. Cut butter into teaspoon-size pieces and place in a mixing bowl. Add flour, oats, brown sugar and cinnamon. Using 2 knives or a pastry blender, cut butter into flour mixture until it is chunky with pieces resembling small peas.

Use wrapper from butter to lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan. Shake any remaining water from blueberries and pour into baking pan. Sprinkle almond extract over berries and stir to blend. Sprinkle flour-sugar mixture evenly over berries.

Bake 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve at once, with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

* Cooking Notes

This recipe, adapted from "The Joy of Cooking," is easier to put together if the butter is cold.

You can use any combination of berries, or even peaches or pitted cherries, in this crisp.

This is even more wonderful with vanilla ice cream.