Summer Berry crisp

This has to be the perfect finish to a meal on a warm summer evening. Sweet warm berries, cinnamon-y crumbly crust and cold vanilla ice cream. Perfection I tell you. I'm really in to seasonal cooking, it just makes sense...right? While berries are at their peak of freshness this dessert needs to be on your to do list. Let this be the reason you head to the farmers market this weekend.

Summer Berry Crisp

For the Berries: 4 pints fresh berries, any combination of raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the topping:1 cup flour
⅓ cup sugar
⅓ cup brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
pinch of nutmeg
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut up, at room temperature

In a large bowl combine berries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Stir to combine and set aside while mixing the topping. 

Preheat oven to 350 prepare a sheet pan by spreading with a piece of aluminum foil. In a mixing bowl combine flour, sugars, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers cut butter into dry ingredients until the mixture is a course, dry crumbly mixture.

Spoon berries into 6 small ramekins, or into one large baking dish (a casserole pan or 9X9 baking dish works great here). Sprinkle the berries with topping, place the ramekins on the prepared sheet pan and bake in preheated oven for about 40 minutes or until the topping is golden and berries are bubbling. 

Enjoy warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.