Apple Berry Crumble

Now that the weather is getting cooler I tend toward warm, homey desserts straight from the oven. But with the glycemic index to consider at all times, one must choose carefully.

I really wanted an apple dessert--partly because of two juicy apples on the counter. Apples, however, are naturally quite high in sugar, so I decided to pair them with some frozen berries, thus drawing the dessert to an overall lower sugar content. A crumble topping complete with oats, coconut and bran make it hearty.


Apple Berry Crumble
serves 4

8 ounces fresh or frozen mixed berries
2 pie apples, such as macintosh, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup sugar (substitute)
2 tablespoons lime juice

Crumble Topping:

1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup oat bran cereal or all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar (substitute)
2 tablespoons butter, softened

Combine berries, sliced apples, sugar and lime juice together in a bowl; toss to distribute evenly. Allow to sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes to blend.

Meanwhile, combine coconut, oats, bran and sugar. Rub in softened butter with your hands until well distributed and mixture barely clumps when squeezed together. It should be lighter than a pie crust texture, and fall apart easily.

Transfer apple-berry mixture to a buttered pie plate; top with crumble mixture. Bake at 350*F for 30 minutes (timing depends on whether your berries are frozen), or until fruit bubbles around the edges and crumble topping is golden brown.

Cool for at least 15 minutes before eating--filling will be extremely hot!