Recipe: Quick Crumble Topping Tart

8 to 10 Servings
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole grain oats
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening (preferably trans-fat-free)
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons ice water
1/2 cup walnuts or hazelnuts
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup coconut cane ginger sugar (found in specialty food stores and on the web- you may substitute regular granulated sugar if necessary
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
6 cups fresh sliced apples/ or berries

Dough:
Blend together flour, butter, shortening, vanilla, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal with some small butter lumps. Transfer 2 ½ cups mixture to a bowl and drizzle 5 tablespoons water over it. Stir gently with a fork until incorporated. Reserve remaining mixture for topping.

Squeeze a small handful of dough: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water 1/2 tablespoon at a time, stirring until incorporated. (Do not overwork dough, or the pastry will be tough.)
Turn out dough onto a work surface and divide into 4 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather all dough together and flatten into a 12-inch disk. If dough is sticky, dust lightly with additional flour. Wrap disk in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 1 hour.

Make topping while dough chills:
Add nuts , oats, granulated sugar and coconut cane ginger sugar to reserved dough mixture in a bowl and rub together until some large clumps form.

Make filling:
· Combine fruit of choice with brown sugar. (for added depth add a touch of cinnamon or nutmeg to taste)

Assemble pie:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Roll out disk of dough into a 15- by 13-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin. Fit into 11X13” pan and trim excess dough. Fill shell with berries and sprinkle evenly with topping. Bake tart in pan on baking sheet until topping and crust are golden and filling is bubbling, about 55 to 60 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 20 minutes. Enjoy warm or cold with vanilla ice cream or my favorite, crème fraiche.