Individual Plum Crisps

My mom came to the farmers' market with me two weekends ago (before wedding dress shopping), and she ended up buying a container of small plums in addition to a bunch of other farmers' market goodies.

She left some of the plums with me, and I thought I'd make a simple summer dessert with them. These individual plum crisps, with subtle hints of cinnamon, are sweet and tart, preserving the flavor of the plums.

Individual Plum Crisps (my recipe, topping adapted from The Art and Soul of Baking)
Printable version
Serves 2

Ingredients

1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut in small chunks
4 small plums
Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for serving, optional

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut in the butter until it is evenly distributed and topping starts to clump together.

Dice the plums, and divide them between two small oven-safe dishes.

Sprinkle half of the topping over each dish (do not pack it down).

Place the baking dishes on a sheet pan, and bake for 20 minutes, or until fruit is bubbling and crisp turns golden brown, turning the pan halfway through baking.

Let cool slightly before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

What simple summer desserts have you been enjoying?