I suppose it says something about how well guilt works on me that I find it impossible to feed my children cereal. If they get up on Saturday before I do, they know to get a bowl of cereal. Once I’m up, though, they know to hold off until something comes out of the oven.
And a fair amount of obsession goes into their school-day breakfasts: Is there enough protein to fuel their brains through lunch, but not too much? A little sweetness, because that’s what mornings demand? Some fruit? Some grains? Enough warmth and love to guide a smooth glide out the door?
My need to provide a hot, special, doting breakfast hit high gear this week, with children home for snow days. My guilt, gone into overdrive by how horribly the kids have eaten for the past three weeks as I fought through a virus, sent me into the kitchen still gasping for breath to prepare whatever simple-but-special treats I could come up with. Ridiculous, but it did make me feel better.
Finally, today, it was back to school — but on a two-hour delay — perfect for one last treat. This time, it was a simple apple crisp — a treat, but a reasonable one, and definitely easy.
Crisps make homey desserts, but I like them even better for breakfast. With a pan filled almost to the brim with fruit, topped with an oatmeal streusel, I feel warmed and comforted, without the guilt (drat, there it is again) of a breakfast of scones or coffeecake or some other treat that offers nearly nothing nutritionally.
Recipe: Apple Crisp
Tell me: What’s your favorite fruit in a crisp?
See also: Recently Made: Blueberry-Peach Crisp
