Apple and blackberry coconut crisp

Annabel Langbein Media

In the American lexicon of fruit-based hot desserts there are all manner of choices. Crisps and crumbles employ combinations of flour and/or cereal (especially oats), butter, sugar, nuts and spices.

Cobblers are made with either a batter or a scone-like topping, slumps are cooked with a scone topping on the stovetop, and buckles are baked with a streusel or coffee-cake topping using nuts, butter and sugar. This coconut topping makes a great change from a traditional crumble - it's light and crispy and gluten-free to boot.

For the fruit

1 kg	Apple, use Golden Delicious or Granny Smith (Main)
2 Tbsp	Butter
2 Tbsp	Soft brown sugar
1 cup	Blackberries (Main)

For the coconut topping

1 ¼ cups	Ground almonds
1 cup	Desiccated coconut (Main)
¼ cup	Maple syrup, or agave syrup
1 tsp	Cinnamon
½ tsp	Ground nutmeg
70 g	Coconut oil, or use butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 160C fanbake. Peel, core and cut each apple into six wedges, transferring them to a bowl of water with a squeeze of lemon juice as they are done so they don't brown.
2. In a 26cm ovenproof frying pan, heat butter and brown sugar until bubbling. Remove from heat. Drain apples, add to the butter sugar mix and turn to coat. Spread out evenly in the frypan and sprinkle berries over the top.
3. Make coconut topping by combining ground almonds, coconut, syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg in a mixing bowl. Mix through melted coconut oil or butter. Sprinkle mixture evenly over the fruit.
4. Bake until topping is golden and apples are tender (about 40 minutes). Serve hot or warm.

More classic American recipes from Annabel

• Pickled cabbage and cucumber slaw
• Southern spare ribs with blackjack sauce