Grilling season is just around the corner so get ready for your fill of burgers, kebabs, and ribs. But wait a minute -- we often get so stuck on grilled entrées that we forget about dessert. Huh? Dessert on the grill? You bet. Warm, juicy, even charred fruits, breads, and sweets make springtime desserts truly a seasonal treat. 

Crisps, cobblers, and crumbles are prepared in both summer and winter months. Baked in a hearth or oven, the fruits caramelize, the oat topping crisps, it’s a soul-satisfying thing. But in the warmer months, nobody wants to crank on the oven in an already toasty kitchen. That’s the genius of grilling desserts. Not only do they bake up perfectly on the grill, but they fill your backyard with that heavenly, rich smell of fruits and buttery crumb topping, which is indeed a soul-satisfying thing. 

Grilled Blueberry and Cherry Crisp with Pecans and Crème Fraiche

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup blueberries

1 cup cherries

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon lemon

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup oats

¼ cup brown sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon sea salt

¼ cup unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, plus 1 teaspoon 

½ cup pecans

¼ cup crème fraiche, for serving (or sour cream)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the grill to medium heat. Lightly grease a small baking dish with 1 teaspoon butter. 

In a large bowl, combine blueberries, cherries, sugar, lemon, and vanilla. Mix to coat.

In food processor combine oats, brown sugar, flour, and salt. Add butter and pulse several times until texture resembles coarse sand. Add pecans and pulse a few more times.  

Place fruit mixture into bottom of baking dish and top with oat mixture. Place on grill and cook, covered, for 20-30 minutes, until fruit is bubbling and topping is set. Enjoy with a dollop of crème fraiche.