Strawberry Apricot Breakfast Crisp

Each Thursday, Emily Vikre (a.k.a fiveandspice) will be sharing a new way to love breakfast -- because breakfast isn't just the most important meal of the day. It's also the most awesome.

Today: In the end, we all really want crumble for breakfast.

There aren’t many desserts as delightful as a warm fruit crisp topped with a scoop of melting ice cream. But, let’s be honest here.  I think we can all agree that really one of crisp’s best features is that it makes a fantastic breakfast the next day. So fantastic, in fact, that some of us even go so far as to bake up a fruit crisp with the sole purpose of refrigerating it and doling it out for breakfasts for the week.

I know I’m not the only one who does this. After buying a copy of The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, I discovered I was even in such good company as the likes of Deb Perelmen. If Deb does it, you know it’s got to be oh so right.

I like to make my breakfast crisps using ground-up nuts with the oats, for a little extra protein (it also makes it gluten free!), and with honey or maple syrup instead of refined sugar so I can tell myself that it’s totally a healthy breakfast.  Plopped, ceremoniously of course, on top of some plain yogurt, it kind of is.  The type of fruit can vary with the seasons, but this morning’s crisp, a mix of jewel-like strawberries and apricots with a hazelnut cap turned out particularly well. Sprinkle your serving with a little lemon zest and fresh basil and your day will be made almost as soon as it has begun.  

Strawberry Apricot Breakfast Crisp

Serves about 4 to 6, doubles well for more breakfasts

1/2 cup hazelnuts
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold, salted butter, cut into chunks (cold coconut oil works well too)
1/3 cup honey (or maple syrup)
6 apricots, pitted and quartered
8 ounces strawberries, hulled and quartered
Yogurt of your choice, for serving
Lemon zest and/or thinly sliced basil, for serving

See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.

Photo by Emily Vikre