Brown Sugar Crisp Crumbles

(Makes 4 to 5 cups crumbled-up crisp)

Created by: Lidia Matticchio Bastianich

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces cold butter, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons cold water

• 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, pulse together the flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Drop in the butter and pulse a dozen or so times, until the butter has been uniformly blended into the flour mixture. Sprinkle on the water and process for a couple seconds only, just to moisten the dough—it should still be rather loose and granular.
• 2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Sprinkle the loose grains of dough evenly in one layer on the sheet, keeping the layer thin.
• 3. Bake for about 10 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for another 7 to 10 minutes, until the layer is caramelized and golden brown all over. It will resemble a giant brown sugar cookie.
• 4. Set the pan on a wire rack and cool until the cookie is crisp. Cut or break off any burnt edges. Crack the cookie into crispy flakes, an inch or smaller. This is a good size for munching; you can crumble the flakes a bit more when layering the parfait.

May & June 2005

Photographer: iStockphoto.com/Sandra O'Claire

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