Apple, Carrot and Pear Crisp

Some vegetables go surprisingly well with desserts. Of course, this isn’t anything new with all the zucchini breads and carrot cakes out there. So when I wanted to put together an apple crisp and had an extra couple carrots hanging out in the fridge, I thought, why not?

I’ve been trying to decide if adding veggies to desserts makes me feel better about eating them. Actually, I don’t think it does, but I am in agreement that an extra serving of vegetables here or there, whether sweet or not, can’t hurt.

Aside from their beautiful orange color, carrots are of course known for their vitamin A content which has long been associated with healthy vision. In addition, the antioxidant activity of the carotenoids protects the heart and may reduce the risk of cancer.

I always remember a conversation I had once with my grandma. She developed macular degeneration which caused her to lose much of her vision late in her life. When discussing dinner once, carrots came up. She said, “Oh yes, carrots are great for your eyes. I’ve eaten them all my life!” And then she burst out with laughter at her own joke. Ah, as Grandparent’s Day approaches I’m reminded of how much I miss her.

The carrots turned out to be a great addition to the crumble. I sautéed them in a little butter to soften them just a bit and added cinnamon to flavor them even more. They added a slightly crunchy texture and a mildly sweet flavor that complimented the apples and pears well.

I used mascavo sugar (unrefined cane sugar) for this dessert; however, I did use a table spoon of white flour for thickening. Anyone have any suggestions for a thickening agent that isn’t refined? The whole wheat flour I use isn’t so great at thickening, but perhaps something else would work.

Apple, Carrot and Pear Crisp

1 tsp. butter
¾ cup carrot, shredded
2 tsp. cinnamon, divided
2 pears, sliced
2 apples, sliced
½ cup mascavo sugar
1 tbsp. flour

Topping:
½ cup oats
¾ cup mascavo sugar
¾ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup walnuts, chopped
¼ tsp baking soda
½ cup butter

Heat the butter in a skillet and add the shredded carrot. Stir in 1 tsp. of cinnamon and cook the carrots for about five minutes. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the pears, apples, sugar, flour and the remaining 1 tsp. of cinnamon. Mix well to coat the fruit. Into a greased baking dish, layer the apples and pears with the carrots, filling the dish.

In a smaller bowl mix the topping ingredients except for the butter. Cut the butter into the mixture and combine with a with a fork or pastry blender until the butter is evenly distributed. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until crisp on top and bubbly.