Cherry Crisp

I love fruit crisps....especially warm from the oven with ice cream... YUMMO! I got my new Food Network magazine the other day and this recipe was in there and of course I had to try it out! I wasn't disappointed either... LOVED it. I tweaked it a bit by adding a little almond extract to the fruit... cherry and almond go awesome together don't you think??? Their recipe called for dark rum... it was an optional ingredient which I don't have on hand.. but I had some butter rum extract so I threw some of that in just to see what it would taste like but you don't have to if you don't have it. Plus I think I did the recipe for the topping 1 and 1/2 times.... cuz recipes never have enough topping if you ask me..... after all that 's the best part! I also bought frozen cherries since I don't have a cherry pitter.... I let them thaw slightly and then cut them in half. I used 2 packages. But feel free to use fresh cherries if you have a cherry pitter. I hope you enjoy as much as we did!

Heavenly Cherry Crisp
First, preheat the over to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square baking dish.
Melt 6 Tablespoons of butter in a small dish and set aside.
In a large bowl, toss the following:
6 cups pitted cherries ( thaw if using frozen)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon butter rum flavoring (optional)
1/4 teaspoon almond flavoring
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons flour
Pinch of salt
Toss to combine, then spread  the cherry mixture into your prepared baking dish.

 Next, in a smaller mixing bowl, combine the following:
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Then add the 6 Tablespoons of melted butter and stir with a fork until combined. Sprinkle this mixture over your cherry filling. Bake in the preheated oven for about  45 minutes to an hour until the filling is bubbling and the topping is golden brown.

Let cool slightly before serving.
Serve with ice cream or whipped cream. YUMMO