LUCY BURDETTE: Honestly, I'm a little surprised that Susan could scrape herself off the ceiling and get a post written this week after her big news: She hit the New York Times bestseller list for her new book, THE PRIME MINISTER'S SECRET AGENT! But she did, and we're thrilled to welcome her to Mystery Lovers' Kitchen to share one of her favorite summer dishes. Take it away Susan!
SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: "Eat
fruit!" That seems to be my rallying cry in the summer, especially with
my nine-year-old son, who (not all the time, but, you know, often)
would rather
have candy or cookies as a snack.
However,
there's one dessert I make in the summer that everyone loves — Fruit
Crisp. Not the best or most evocative name for a dessert maybe, but as
spring turns to summer, and the variety of fresh fruits change it goes
from Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp, to Cherry Crisp, to Blueberry Crisp, to
Peach Crisp, to Pear Crisp, to Apple Crisp. I know exactly what part of
summer we're in by what sort of fruit is best.
And
what is a crisp? Well, in our house it's a baked fruit dessert with a
Scottish shortbread topping. (No oatmeal. No thanks. I could be wrong,
but I think that's what makes a cobbler instead of a crisp.) Basically, a fruit crisp is eating caramelized fruits with crumbled buttery shortbread cookies — heaven.
I don't really have a recipe, as I've been making Fruit Crisp for years. But here we go.
For
the topping, you'll need one stick of butter, one cup
of sugar, and one cup of flour. That's it. Mix (I just use well-washed
hands or put my son to work) thoroughly, so you get a buttery sort of
dough. (One, one, and one — so easy to remember.)
Then
take whatever fruit you have on hand (I just mix and match depending
what's in season and what's in the fridge), wash it, peel it (if, you
know, it needs peeling), and cut into chunks. (To taste — my family
prefers bigger pieces of fruit, which is great because it means
less chopping for me!)
I
just put the fruit in without adding any sugar because i think the
topping is rich and sweet enough. But if you'd like, add from 1 to 3
teaspoons of sugar and mix through. Likewise, I love the messy, juicy
fruit juices that bake down, but if you'd like a filling more like pie
filling, add a tablespoon of flour or corn starch and mix through.)
Put the fruit in a baking dish. Top with the buttery dough — no need to roll it out, just sprinkle it on.
Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or so. (I like the crust quite brown and fruit caramelized.) Enjoy solo or with ice cream!
Happy summer!
ABOUT THE BOOK:
“You’ll be [Maggie Hope’s] loyal subject, ready to follow her wherever she goes.”—O: The Oprah Magazine
World
War II rages on across Europe, but Maggie Hope has finally found a
moment of rest on the pastoral coast of western Scotland. Home from an
undercover mission in Berlin, she settles down to teach at her old spy
training camp, and to heal from scars on both her body and heart. Yet
instead of enjoying the quieter pace of life, Maggie is quickly drawn
into another web of danger and intrigue. When three ballerinas fall
strangely ill in Glasgow—including one of Maggie’s dearest
friends—Maggie partners with MI-5 to uncover the truth behind their
unusual symptoms. What she finds points to a series of poisonings that
may expose shocking government secrets and put countless British lives
at stake. But it’s the fight brewing in the Pacific that will forever
change the course of the war—and indelibly shape Maggie’s fate.
“You’ll be [Maggie Hope’s] loyal subject, ready to follow her wherever she goes.”—O: The Oprah Magazine
THE PRIME MINISTER'S SECRET AGENT is available at your local independent bookstore, library, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.
