Valentine’s Day Cherry-Raspberry Crisp

Valentine’s Day is tomorrow. It is obligatory to make a dessert, I know. Generally, that has to be a chocolate dessert and something that can be hand-fed to your lover—chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate fondue, chocolate bonbons, chocolate truffles.

I am breaking protocol a bit. I am adding some chocolate flavor, yes, but we will have to use spoons to hand-feed each other this dessert.

Since I found bag after bag of frozen dark sweet cherries in the freezer and I haven’t really put a dent in the fourteen pounds of red raspberries as I continue my purge of our food supplies, this V-Day dessert had to be made with these luscious beauties.

Some more frozen sweet dark cherries and a BIG box of raspberries.

I am not sure if this is a cobbler, crumb, buckle or what? I am deeming it a “crisp.” I do know that it is very tasty!

• Valentine’s Day Cherry Crisp
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 2 T. cornstarch
• 1 t. ground cinnamon
• Dash of fresh ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 c. frozen pitted sweet dark cherries, thawed
• 2 c. frozen red raspberries, thawed
• 2 T. Amaretto
• zest from one lemon
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Whisk together dry ingredients (sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt). Set aside.
• In a large bowl, toss cherries, Amaretto, and lemon zest.
• Cherries, raspberries, Amaretto and lemon zest.
• Add dry ingredients and toss to coat. Place cherry mixture in a prepared 9 x 9 baking pan.
• I used a bit smaller heart-shaped pan.
• Make topping:
• 1 c. all purpose flour
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 1/4 c. cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 t. cinnamon
• dash of fine sea salt
• 5 T. chilled butter, cut into small cubes

Place all ingredients for topping in a food processor and pulse until combined. Press topping into cherry mixture.

My pan was so full that I placed the dish on a foil-lined baking sheet before putting it in the oven.

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until topping is browned and mixture is bubbly.

To create this recipe, I adapted my Dark Sweet Cherry Pie recipe and the topping from my Heirloom Apple Pie with Crumb Topping.

Good thing I put it on a baking sheet.

Serve this with a drizzle of melted chocolate and whipped cream if desired (and we desired!).

Crumbly, crisp, and bubbly---direct from the oven.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Note: When I make this again in this smaller heart pan (and not a 9 x 9 baking dish), I will decrease the amount of “crisp”. It was almost too much for the berry mixture. Whipped cream is a must for this dessert.