Summer Berry Crisp

I love spending time in the kitchen, but summer heat and hectic schedules sometimes make me less than enthusiastic about slaving away in front of a hot stove. Luckily, there's a solution to my summer baking blues - this beautifully simple dessert. This elegant crisp creates the illusion of lots of time spent in the kitchen, and showcases the freshest of summer berries. The reality is about ten minutes prep time and 30 minutes in the oven, and you can use any combination of berries (fresh or frozen - be sure to thaw first) that you have on hand.

Fresh, in-season berries and the cool, clean flavor of coconut oil make this a light and reasonably healthy dessert that's perfect for summer. This 'crisp' contains some unusual spices (black pepper, anyone?) but, trust me, they're guaranteed to bring out the best in your berries. Did you know that cloves and black pepper can make a late-summer raspberry taste even sweeter? You don't have to take my word for it - try this simple desert and see for yourself!

Summer Berry Crisp

fills a 1 1/2 quart casserole

3 cups fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries and raspberries work well)

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 cup butter

3 Tablespoons coconut oil

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose or whole wheat flour

3/4 cup old-fashioned oats

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper*

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves*

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

*fresh ground works best, especially with the cloves

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a deep 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Place berries in dish, drizzle with lemon juice and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, brown sugar and spices. Cut butter into flour mixture with a fork and stir in coconut oil until well blended. Mixture may be lumpy. Add oatmeal and stir until just combined. Crumble mixture over fruit, taking care to cover evenly and all the way to the edges. Bake for 20 minutes covered, then uncover and bake for 10 minutes more, or until topping is lightly browned and slightly crispy. Serve hot or cold, with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or a drizzle of pouring cream.

A few notes: This recipe varies greatly depending on the fruit used. If you're using tart or slightly sour fruits, like raspberries or blackberries, you may wish to dust them with sugar before baking. For a crisp made of sweet fruits (i.e. strawberries, peaches or plums), you can reduce the sugar in the topping to 1/2 cup.

The thickness of the fruit filling also varies with the fruit used. If you're worried that your crisp will be too syrupy (this sometimes happens with blueberries), you can coat the fruit with a bit of cornstarch beforehand or bake it in a light syrup of cornstarch, lemon juice and sugar.