by cookbook author Nancy Baggett for the Washington Post
Ingredients:
butter for the baking dish
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed light brown sugar
¾ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
¾ cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional0
scant ½ tsp salt
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
¾ cup (12 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
4 ½ cups peeled, cored and sliced (¼ inch) tart apples (4-5 medium)
3 ½ cups peeled, cored and sliced (¼ inch) barely ripe bartlett, anjou or bosc pears ( 3 medium)
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
12 tsp finely grated lemon zest
2 tsp peeled and finely minced ginger root
Directions:
Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 9 by 13 inch baking dish with butter.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, oats, nuts (if using), salt and cinnamon. Add the butter and stir until it is evenly incorporated and the mixture forms clumps. Set aside.
In a large nonreactive bowl, toss together the apples, pears, lemon juice and zest, and ginger. Add 1 cup of the crumb mixture and toss to combine. Spread the mixture evenly in the baking dish.
Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture evenly over the top, using your fingertips to break up any large clumps.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is well browned and the fruit is bubbly. Transfer the dish to a wire rack and set aside to cool until barely warm. Spoon the crisp into bowls then top with scoops of vanilla ice cream.
(May cover &refrigerate for several days. Cover with foil & reheat slowly in a low oven until warmed)
