Wild Blueberry Polenta Crisp
When I set out to create a fruit crisp that would transport me to summer in the dead of winter, I reached for my stash of frozen wild blueberries. (I always try to keep a bag on hand.) I wanted this crisp to be less sweet than most baked fruit desserts, so I ditched the sugar and cornstarch that’s typically used to sweeten and thicken the base. Instead, I stirred chia seeds into fresh orange juice and let it sit while I made the crisp topping. Chia seeds can absorb up to 10 times their weight in liquid! When folded into the berries, they give the crisp a pie-filling like texture while providing a dose of protein and omega-3 fats.
Wild blueberries are from Maine
Using frozen wild blueberries—which provide a third more flavonoid nutrients than regular ones—means you can enjoy this dessert all year long. Look for them in the freezer section of the grocery store. There may be more than one brand of wild blueberries (Wyman’s is a popular one), but if they say “wild” on the package, they are the ones cultivated in Maine for their high flavonoid content.
One type of flavonoid—anthocyanins—reside mostly in the blueberry’s skin. Wild blueberries have more than a regular blueberry because they are smaller and have a greater skin to flesh ratio. These cultivated wild berries are also more tart, which makes this fruit crisp less sweet than most.
Whole grain corn provides brain health nutrients
One of my favorite Italian treats—a golden horseshoe-shaped polenta cookie called crumiri—inspired the topping for this blueberry crisp. Polenta makes the cookies delightfully crunchy and not too sweet, and it does the same for the crisp topping. A combination of almond flour and polenta mixed with olive oil and butter creates a tender, biscuit-like crumb.
Though you may not think of polenta or cornmeal as brain-healthy foods, both are actually rich in B vitamins, protein, fiber, and carotenoids—important brain health antioxidants. Skip highly processed corn products—like tortilla chips, corn flakes, and finely ground cornmeal—since they’re made from highly milled corn, which strips the corn kernel of its hull and germ (where the brain health nutrients reside).
Choosing the best butter
The MIND diet guidelines recommend eating butter only sparingly—up to 1 tablespoon per day. Here, a small amount goes a long way to add biscuit-like textures and flavor to the crisp topping. For a higher concentration of brain-friendly omega-3 fats, choose butter from grass-fed cows. At the grocery store, look for European brands, such as Plugra and Kerrygold, or domestic organic grass-fed butter.
Top this crisp with full-fat plain yogurt sweetened with a spoonful of honey for a nice contrast of creamy yogurt and crisp polenta topping. Using full-fat yogurt (dairy or plant-based), instead of low- or nonfat, actually helps you absorb more of those brain-healthy anthocyanins while providing a good dose of protein and gut-friendly probiotics.
Prep Time | 20 minutes |
Cook Time | 30 to 40 minutes |
Servings |
servings
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- ½ cup fresh orange juice from 1 - 2 large oranges
- 3 tablespoons chia seeds black or white
- 1 cup almond meal
- ½ cup polenta or medium or coarsely ground cornmeal
- ¼ cup coconut palm sugar
- ¼ cup cold grass-fed butter cut into ½-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 6 cups frozen wild blueberries do not defrost
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest from 1 -2 large oranges
- Unsweetened plain Greek yogurt with honey optional
Ingredients
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- Preheat the oven to 375ºF with a rack set in the center position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (for easier cleanup and transferring in and out of the oven) and set a 2-quart oval or square baking dish on top.
- Stir together the orange juice and chia seeds in a small bowl. Let sit until the chia seeds are plump while you prepare the other ingredients, about 20 minutes.
- Pulse the polenta in a food processor on high until the texture is less gritty, about 1 minute. Add the almond meal, sugar, butter, oil, egg, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and pulse until the butter is no bigger than a lentil, about 12 times. Set aside.
- Stir together the still-frozen berries, orange-chia mixture, the zest, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Pour onto the baking pan and crumble the topping evenly overtop. Bake until the crisp is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, 30 to 40 minutes. (Cover with foil after 30 minutes if the topping is already browned.) Cool for about 30 minutes before serving to allow the juices to set up and thicken.
- Serve warm, with dollops of Greek yogurt (if using). To store, cover tightly and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Tips:
Be sure to zest the orange before juicing it; both will be folded into the wild blueberry filling.
Look for coarse ground polenta (such as polenta corn grits from Bob’s Red Mill) in the whole grain section of the grocery store. Or, use medium or coarse-ground cornmeal instead.
To make this in 6-inch cast iron or ceramic dishes, divide the berries and topping evenly amongt 4 dishes. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes.
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