Ingredient: salted butter, melted

Individual Grape Crisps

I’ve always felt that grapes are an under-utilized baking ingredient. When it comes to grapes, we think automatically of wine. But not every bunch is destined for the next great vintage. Grapes act like any other berry (which is what they are) in baking applications, unleashing their depth of flavor as well as lending their color and beauty.

There are endless possibilities for the use of grapes beyond wine in both sweet and savory. I probably have more recipe ideas for them than I’ll ever get around to making but …

Today, I just wanted to make a simple crisp for our dessert. The beauty of crisps is that you can make them all year long, using any fruit that is in season. We are lucky enough to have nice tasting grapes available at our grocery stores all season long. Crisps are perfect because they are super easy to assemble, and they are hard to ruin.

For the record, there’s not a huge difference between crisps and crumbles. Some say that a crisp has oats while a crumble does not. Another theory suggests that crumbles are the English version of crisps. For me, the two terms have always been interchangeable so no need to overcomplicate things, just enjoy!

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 Individual Grape Crisps
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course dessert
Cuisine Canadian
Keyword individual grape crisps
Servings
Ingredients
Grapes
Crisp Topping
Course dessert
Cuisine Canadian
Keyword individual grape crisps
Servings
Ingredients
Grapes
Crisp Topping
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray 4 ramekins with cooking spray & set aside.
Grapes
  1. In a bowl, toss the grapes with sugar, ginger & cinnamon. Divide evenly between the 4 ramekins.
Topping
  1. In another bowl, combine the melted butter, flour, oats, brown sugar, pecans & salt. Mix until a crumbly mixture forms.
  2. Sprinkle the crumble mixture on top of each ramekin.
  3. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the tops begin to brown.
  4. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping if desired.

Baked Scallops w/ Ritz Cracker Topping

The foods that stay always stocked, the staples of anyone’s pantry, hold the secret to understanding what makes each individual household special in its own way.

One of the most telling is where someone keeps their Ritz crackers: stocked as the go-to snack for the family, among the chocolate chips as a home baker’s secret to pie, or with the tinned fish, destined to be the base of canapés for a party. Keeping a box of Ritz crackers on the shelves means always having a welcoming taste on hand— easy access to a versatile staple that goes with anything and requires no effort to prepare.

Ritz Crackers are a universal favorite. They’ve been a comforting fixture in grocery stores for over 80 years. Simply put, these scalloped golden discs have an ideal level of saltiness. They’re tender, but not to the point of crumbling as soon as you take a bite. They’re toasty, buttery, and seasoned throughout (instead of just on the top) but not in a way that would overpower whatever toppings or dips you’d enjoy with them.

Cracker breading is the perfect complement for fish, seafood, chicken or a vegetable casserole, mashed potatoes and of course, macaroni and cheese.

The combination of flavors in this simple casserole make it such a classic — just scallops, lemon, butter, vermouth, and Ritz crackers. Taking a bite of baked scallops with Ritz crackers is like going back in time, an old-school pleasure. It’s purely delicious, and incredibly easy to make.

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 Baked Scallops w/ Ritz Cracker Topping
Votes: 2
Rating: 5
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Cuisine American
Keyword baked scallops w/ Ritz cracker topping
Servings
Ingredients
Cuisine American
Keyword baked scallops w/ Ritz cracker topping
Servings
Ingredients
Votes: 2
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Place rack on the second to top position.
  2. Wash scallops & pat dry. Remove the side muscle if still attached.
  3. Arrange scallops in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. In a small bowl, stir together the cracker crumbs, garlic salt & pepper. Sprinkle the scallops evenly with the cracker crumb mixture, then Parmesan. Pour the butter over all, then sprinkle evenly with the lemon juice & vermouth. Cover the dish with foil & bake for 20 minutes, then remove foil & bake an additional 10 minutes.
  4. Turn the heat up to 'broil' & with the oven door ajar, brown the top for an additional 2 or 3 minutes.
  5. Serve hot, garnished with a slice of lemon & fresh chopped chives or parsley.