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Apple, Fig & Walnut Crisp – Becky of Baking the Goods
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Seasonal crisp apples and decadent, honey-sweet figs bake together with cinnamon and ginger spiced sweetness under a textural crumble topping. Toasty walnuts combine with hearty oats, brown sugar and cinnamon in a craggy crumble topping that adds a welcome crispy texture atop the soft and syrupy fruit. This Apple Fig & Walnut Crisp from our friend Becky Sue at Baking the Goods, features some of California’s best produce in a simple dessert that satisfies all of the fall cravings with comforting ease.
From Becky Sue
After living in California for 6 years, I couldn’t help but fall in love with the Golden State. I mean, California has it all: beaches, mountains, desert, lakes, rivers, wine country and some of the best dang produce in the entire country. Until I lived there, I never realized what an immense connection California has with our food systems throughout the country and the world -so many reasons to love this great state!
One very special and specific reason I love California, is the figs. California grown figs are like nature’s candy. They have a subtle natural sweetness and a soft and supple texture that is as luxurious as the deep purple color of a Black Mission Fig. The comfortable and sunny climate of California has always been where I’ve felt most at home. And as it turns out, figs feel the same way. CA is the ideal climate for growing figs! In fact, California grows a whopping 98% of the fresh figs sold commercially in the U.S.
My love for figs runs almost as deep as my love of California, so I wanted to sneak them into a recipe that comforts like the warm beams of sunshine that grace the Golden State. This Apple Fig & Walnut Crisp features luxuriously decadent, honey-sweet Black Mission figs and seasonal crisp apples baked together with cinnamon and ginger spiced sweetness under a textural walnut crumble topping.
The fresh baked figs, sweet/tart apples and warm and toasty walnut crumble in this Apple Fig & Walnut Crisp are just a few of the reasons that I adore California. And I am so happy to know I can find all of these California Grown treasures here at my local market in Oregon.
Here are a few more of Becky Sue’s delicious recipes made with fresh California Grown produce!
Spiced Pear and Walnut Dutch Baby
This Spiced Pear & Walnut Dutch Baby bakes up high and mighty in a hot oven with puffy edges and a slightly custardy and elegantly eggy center. The moment it’s done baking, it’s topped with tender sweet pears that have been sautéed in butter, brown sugar and warm spices. Toasty walnuts add a welcome crunchy texture and nutty flavor to the top. And if you really want to make it indulgent, add a sprinkle of powdered sugar, a spritz of fresh lemon and a dollop of crème fraîche for a fancy finish.
Caramelized Fig and Walnut Bread
A hearty Caramelized Fig and Walnut Bread is a quick bread made with a 50/50 blend of all purpose and whole wheat flours, studded with caramelized figs and crunchy walnuts. The crunch of the walnuts next to the jammy figs brings a much desired texture to the interior and a sparkling sugar sprinkled crunchtastic top layer. Best served with a thick slathering of Whipped Rosemary Honey Butter.
Purple Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls
California’s sunshine, warm, dry climate and sandy soil is the perfect combo for sweetpotato vines. There are dozens of types of sweetpotatoes, ranging from white and mild to deep red and super sweet. There are even purple sweetpotatoes, and these are the highlight of my Purple Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls! These tender, fluffy rolls have an undeniably moist and buttery bite with subtle sweet notes and a pretty in dusty pinkish-purple hued interior topped with a crunchy sprinkle of poppy seeds.
Roasted Grape and Goat Cheese Tart
I developed this Roasted Grape Goat Cheese Tart around my appreciation for the simple and beloved table grape. I wanted to share a new way to think about grapes by roasting them. This elegant tart may look all kinds of fancy, but it’s actually quite easy to make. It has a simple press-in crust filled with a creamy whipped goat cheese filling, crowned with juicy, jammy roasted grapes.
Pear Berry Cobbler
This rustic Pear Berry Cobbler is a casual, no-fuss recipe that makes the most of the start of pear season and peak summer berries. Naturally sweet Barlett pears meld with bursting berries under an airy blanket of tender buttermilk baby biscuits.
Blueberry Brie Walnut Toasts
Thick slabs of toasted sourdough are topped with brie and baked until the cheese is warm and gooey. A mini mountain of blueberries and toasted walnuts crown the bubbly brie. Then, it’s all drizzled with a kiss of sweet honey and herby thyme tendrils for a fancy finish.
Becky Sue is the creative mastermind behind the hugely popular blog Baking the Goods. A trained designer, she found her way to the kitchen as a creative outlet and discovered she was really great at baking did – as did the grateful recipients of said baked goods. Naturally, people started asking for the recipes so Becky Sue decided to have a go at blogging, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Apple Fig & Walnut Crisp by Baking The Goods
Equipment
- 2 quart casserole or 10" skillet
Ingredients
For the Apple Fig Filling
- 2 lbs. Granny Smith Pink Lady or Honeycrisp apples, thinly sliced (about 6 cups sliced)
- 2 cups Black Mission Figs quartered
- 1 medium lemon zested & juiced
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon tapioca flour or cornstarch
For the Walnut Crisp Topping
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup thick rolled oats
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup salted butter cold and cut into ¼” cubes
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup walnuts – roughly chopped
Instructions
- Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
- Combine sliced apples, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger and sea salt in a large mixing bowl. Toss together to combine and allow to sit for 15 minutes so the juices begin to release from the apples.
- Toss apples with tapioca flour or cornstarch, then gently stir in the figs.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Toss or whisk together. Use your hands to smoosh the cold butter cubes into the mix until you have a rough and crumbly texture with large, pea sized chunks. Add the walnuts and toss together until combined.
- Transfer the apple and fig filling into a 2 quart casserole or baking dish or a 10” cast iron skillet. Sprinkle the Walnut Crisp Topping evenly over the top. Place the dish on a lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 60-70 minutes, until the apples feel tender when pricked with a fork or skewer and the crisp is well browned on top. The juices should be thickened and bubbling when you tilt the dish.
- Allow to cool for about an hour. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Allow the crisp to cool at least 1 hour so the fruit juices can thicken and set before serving.
Serve warm with ice cream, whipped cream or even Greek yogurt.
Nutrition
***Updated May 30, 2023***