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So you know how sometimes I say that I’m “all organic, all the time”?

Well.  About that…

What I really mean is that I’m “all organic until I happen to stumble across one of New York City’s many street vendors who just happens to be selling strawberries for a dollar a quart or mangoes for a dollar a pop or six heads of garlic for 50 cents”.

I like to pretend that rather than some menial worker, he’s actually straight from the farm selling the good quality wares that he’s grown from scratch.  Tell myself that I’m entirely certain that he rolled through the Midtown Tunnel or over the 59th Street Bridge on his tractor with good quality organic dirt under the fingernails that are attached to his two good quality green thumbs.

(Well.  At least I’m probably right about the fingernails.)

That’s why you shouldn’t feel bad about my “white lies”.  Because I just full-on deceive myself.

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It’s just that sometimes.  Especially on my most stressed days.  I need to have strawberries in the house.
Their presence keeps me sane.

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They whisper sweet nothings into my ear.

They keep me from eating every ounce of the chocolate covered pomegranate jellies that we have sitting on our kitchen table.  Or the block of feta cheese in my fridge.  Or a jar of peanut butter.

And sure, I occasionally end up eating an entire quart in 10 minutes.  But, I’ll be honest with you, (and this is where you roll your eyes because while honesty is surely the best policy, I think it’s obvious that I don’t always employ it to its fullest potential), maybe it was just this last box, but street strawberries taste pretty damn delicious.  Usually I can smell them from a block away.

And in NYC summer heat, what with all the exhaust fumes and homeless-man-urine scents abounding.

That’s quite a feat.

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And then, of course, because self control has never been my strong point.

And because who can actually resist a good 2-for-1 special at times like these.  I usually purchase multiple boxes.  With the intent of eating half.

And baking with half.

Yeah, my frugal side totally has ulterior motives.  That involve cakes and cookies and cupcakes.

And now crisps.

I need to be protected from myself.  Send help.

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I found this recipe for a strawberry hazelnut crisp in one of my cookbooks, which was quite fortuitous given that Oh! Nuts sent me a bag of hazelnuts to try about a decade ago.  Then, as I was really reading through it, I realized that it had hazelnuts but no chocolate.  Doesn’t that seem heretical to you?  Do hazelnuts exist without chocolate?  Not in my apartment.

Hence this strawberry hazelnut chocolate crisp was born.  Swoon.

(Although next time, I’ll probably increase the hazelnut:panko ratio in the crust.  Probably go with 1/2 cup panko to 1 cup hazelnuts.  More hazelnuts are always better.) 


NOTE – if you’d like a little extra ME this weekend, go check out my guest post over at Perry’s Plate!  And while you’re at it, check out the rest of Natalie’s blog…because she’s super awesome!

Strawberry Hazelnut Chocolate Crisp
Fills 4 ramekins, adapted from Luscious Berry Desserts

1 quart strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 2/3 cup panko (or freshly made bread crumbs), divided
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
zest of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
3 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 375.

2. In a medium-large bowl, combine the strawberry slices, 2/3 cup panko, confectioner’s sugar, lemon, and salt.  Stir until combined, then divvy up into 4 ramekins.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the panko, hazelnuts, and sugar.  Mix with the melted butter until combined.  Mix in the chocolate chips.  Spread over the top of each ramekin so that the whole thing is covered.  (You will have extra topping.)

4. Put on a baking tray in the oven and bake for 40 minutes or until fruit is bubbling and top is golden brown.  Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Serve.

I am submitting this to Weekend Herb Blogging, which is being hosted this week by Huan of Eat.Read.Live.

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You are reading this post on Eats Well With Others at https://joanne-eatswellwithothers.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author and or owner of Eats Well With Others. All rights reserved by Joanne Bruno.
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106 Responses to Strawberry Hazelnut Chocolate Crisp

  1. Perfect summertime dessert. I might even slip a tiny scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!

  2. daphne says:

    oh beautiful! it’s like a summer crumble!

  3. This looks delicious, please send me some with vanilla ice cream:-) Eating a container of strawberries instead of a jar of peanut butter is pretty good work!

  4. haha, I also get foiled by fresh berries and cherries. Rainier cherries, oh my, or mangoes, and yes, strawberries!! Thwarted by fruits, what a terrible life I lead. 😉

    Love the crisp with the extra chocolate and panko. 🙂

  5. Pam says:

    Hey, I still have so Oh Nuts nuts in my freezer!

  6. Simply Life says:

    oh what a fun crisp – I feel like I could pass this off as dessert and breakfast 🙂

  7. sofia says:

    i am the same way… can’t resist those cheap-o non-organic blueberries the fruit guy sells. how else am i gonna make bangin’ blueberry pancakes on the cheap? organic berries are especially important, but sometimes stinginess wins over health and ecological awareness. oh, modern privileged life…

  8. I have done my share of fruit crisps, pies, cobblers you name it but I think it is just culinary genius to add in chocolate. I am just shocked that I have never done it before! These pictures are just amazing.

  9. Nice upgraded version of the humble crumble. Those bargain priced stuff could have ‘fallen off’ the organic truck:)

  10. Faith says:

    Oh my…so this is why I bought 2 quarts of strawberries yesterday! They were calling to me, assuring me they’d be put to good use. 😉

  11. Shannon says:

    Wowowowow. Hazelnuts, strawberries AND chocolate!?

    I’m speechless.

    And I’m drooling.

  12. Barbara says:

    Would you look at those ingredients? Wow. And then the photo (soooo much chocolate…yum). Crisps and crumbles are my favorite summer dessert, but I must admit I’ve never added chocolate chips!

  13. Sanjeeta kk says:

    Oh..the dessert look so yum! Love those crumbs..fruit pieces and the chocolate chips. Lovely clicks, Joanne.

  14. brandi says:

    love this mix – especially in a crisp! yum.

    Happy Friday!

  15. Excellent and I agree, hazelnuts should not exist without chocolate!

  16. I make WAY too many crisps, but I never thought to add chocolate. Which is weird because I put chocolate in everything else! This looks amazing. Great for this time of year with all the strawberries.

  17. jenna laughs says:

    I AM DROOLING OVER HERE! That first picture with the fork full of chocolate chips… too much. I have to make this!

  18. Vivienne says:

    i like your white lies…at least they make u feel better instead of fretting over the non-organic-ness of the produce…hahaha 😉
    delish crisp, choc + strawbs is always an amazing combo 🙂

  19. I love the idea of a crisp with hazelnuts and chocolate. It looks and sounds delicious. I don’t think I’d be able to avoid those great deals from the street vendors, either.

  20. Very cool–I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed panko crumbs take place in a baking recipe. And yes, chocolate and hazelnuts are meant to be together and it would have been a crime to leave out the chocolate.

  21. That Girl says:

    You probably fed that strawberry seller’s family last night. Sometimes it’s good to support people and not just products. Did that make you feel better?

  22. Veronica says:

    I love that you added chocolate! Such a wonderful take on the traditional crisp and so pretty too!

  23. Amy says:

    6 heads of garlic for 50 cents=good…homeless-man-urine scents=so totally not good.

    Trevor could eat strawberries for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I cannot keep enough of them in the house. And sometimes…sometimes it’s the street vendors and people sitting on the side of the road that sell the sweetest variety. For 50 cents. What’s up with that?

  24. Mo 'Betta says:

    Hazelnuts and chocolate definitely belong together!

  25. Kim says:

    Hmmmm…I’m loving this combination of ingredients, but it is certainly making me think. I don’t have hazelnuts, but I do have pistachios (lots of them). I’m thinking they might be good in this too! Looks great, Joanne.

  26. Tina Marie says:

    You prepare some of the most amazing looking dishes that are healthy AND tasty. A real inspiration…wish I could eat as you do all the time but I fall off the healthy-food-wagon now and again. Great post!

  27. Natalie says:

    Haha… I got some stuff from Oh Nuts, too, and it seemed like a decade before I got around to posting about it. 🙂 I have a hard time saying no to free nuts.

  28. Natalie says:

    Oh. That may have sounded a little crass. You know what I mean. 🙂

  29. Mmm for some reason I’d never have thought of chocolate in a crisp but it’s perfect here especially since strawberries go so well with chocolate. Great recipe!

  30. Kimberley says:

    I have never incorporated chocolate into a crisp. I’m gonna do something about that.

  31. Beth says:

    These look so good. Fresh fruit season is here and I love it!

  32. Holy deliciousness. I could see a teeny bit of ice cream or fresh whipped cream on there, too 🙂

  33. Tasha says:

    I’m pretty sure I’ve never had hazelnuts (in non-Nutella form) in my house before. And I am certain I’ve never baked with them. Perhaps I need to fix that with this recipe.

  34. Yum, what a wonderful and mouth watering looking crumble 🙂

  35. Ah yes…strawberries in the summer. Nothing beats ’em. I could probably just sustain my life on berries during these three months.

    This looks amazing…of course! Strawberries, chocolate, and hazelnuts. No it doesn’t get any better 🙂

  36. Yummy!! Perfect summer crumble with fruit, nut & chocolate..what more can I ask.I buy organic stuff as and when I get a good deal- not as a rule..Find it too pinchy for the pocket 🙂

  37. Crisps, crumbles, cobblers, etc are always the perfect summer dessert. Add a scoop of fresh-from-the-freezer vanilla ice cream and I’m practically melting into my bowl. This look wonderful!

  38. Eden says:

    I only do organic if its cheap. I am a Jew a after all. And gotta love the chocolate hazelnut combo. Goes together like a Jew and coupon book.

  39. Kristen says:

    It’s a toss up sometimes ~ buy local or buy organic. Either way, that crisp sounds delicious.

  40. Nourhan K. says:

    Ummm, this sounds soo good! I don’t think I’d be able to control myself from eating it all…

  41. Adding chocolate to strawberries is never a bad thing!

  42. OH HECK YEAH! You just took everything yummy and smooshed it all together. That’s what I’m talking about . . .

  43. sweetlife says:

    I have not a single crisp yet, I really to get moving..love the flavors..

    sweetlife

  44. Strawberries keep me sane too!

  45. Johanna GGG says:

    oooh want strawberries – not in season here but that looks so delicious and decadent – I can see how they keep you sane – there should be a tub of them on the counter at the doctor’s and that would probably do the trick (as you know being a med student!)

  46. Maria says:

    I love all of the flavors in this crisp! Divine!

  47. That sounds perfectly divine, Joanne. 🙂 Pure comfort food with a twist. So lovely. 🙂

  48. Pam says:

    Who can resist buying strawberries that you can smell over a homeless man’s urine? Not me I say.

    This crispy looks lovely, decadent, and swoon worthy. Nicely done my sweets.

  49. Pam says:

    P.S. Are you going to go to the Foodbuzz Festival in San Fran in November? I think I am and I would love to finally meet you. Let me know.

  50. girlichef says:

    I was thinking I hadn’t eaten strawberries wtih chocolate before…and then I thought…duh! Chocolate covered strawberries. Just “hot”, I suppose. Sounds good =)

  51. Julie says:

    Delicious! Love it when you add chocolate to fruit!! Hope you’re having a great weekend.

  52. We northerners must rely on the kindness of strangers.. or those who have longer growing seasons than our own.. 😉
    Forgiven!
    Great idea to add chocolate chips to the crisps! Delicious.

  53. Chef Dennis says:

    you are absolutely right, chocolate and hazelnuts go together so well, your crisp looks positively delicious….I understand what you mean about strawberries, I love the smell of fresh berries it is intoxicating!

  54. Jeanette says:

    Love your gorgeous photos! Nice combination of fruit, nuts and chocolate!

  55. This crisp sounds sooo good with the addition of chocolate chips! Love the use of panko here too!

  56. Catherine says:

    Dear Joanne, I think I will have a piece of this crisp, right after I finish a piece of the lasagna! Blessings, Catherine xo

  57. We both have crisps on the brain, I made a cherry crisp and am loving your strawberry chocolate version! (I am posting tomorrow).

  58. sophia says:

    Sounds like it’s the season for crisps! I’ve seen many crisps on blogs now…but shhh…I think yours tops them all!

  59. Maria says:

    Such delicious flavours! This is a beautiful treat, Joanne!

  60. Lora says:

    I love the flavor combo. Looks deeelish. Strawberries are also everywhere here in Germany.

  61. OohLookBel says:

    I thought this was another one of your delicious yet healthy desserts until I spied a chocolate chip. Yay!

  62. teresa says:

    i want to eat that for breakfast! i love everything about it, the chocolate, the juicy strawberries, the fact that you used crispy panko, love it!

  63. Adrienne says:

    This looks absolutely amazing! You can never go wrong with strawberries and chocolate (or hazelnuts for that matter). And I totally agree with you it’s hard sometimes resisting those dirt cheap produce prices. I mean we’re good most of the time right??
    Plus thanks so much for commenting on my blog. It’s nice to know someone other than my family reads it 😀

  64. Rachel says:

    That is simply gorgeous!

  65. Lori says:

    Brillian! I never would have thought of adding chocolate chips to my crisp and now I’m thinking it may never be the same without them.

  66. Amy says:

    1. This crisp? Oh HELLS yeah. Nothing says summer like a beautiful crisp.

    2. There is no street-vendor-judgment coming from this corner. $1/quart strawberries?! I’d be sad if you passed that up!

    3. Chocolate covered pomegranate jellies. MUST get in on this gravy train.

  67. Chocolate and strawberries work for me! Looks fantastic.

  68. Mmmm sounds delish! I am making a strawberry dessert today too – during the summer I love desserts with fruit (and chocolate):p

  69. Kelly says:

    Wow, Joanne, stunning array of flavours and colours here. Hazelnut is a personal favourite and the panko is interesting… I generally use steel cut oats. Very nice! Thanks.

  70. Now this is what a crisp is all about, yum, yum. What a great combination of flavors and all meant to live in harmony together.

  71. Nadji says:

    Une petite gourmandise comme je les aime.
    See soon.

  72. This looks so amazing. Perfect harmony of flavors. I know what you mean about the NYC street vendors, sometimes its just impossible not to pick some goodies up on your way home. Especially in the summer when the peaches are out!!

  73. Oh yeah – I am all self righteous about only eating organic, and locally grown, until I just HAVE TO HAVE those pomegranates or pineapples or mangoes (or suchlike that don’t even grow in NZ) on one of those occasions when you just … well … have to have them!! So I can totally get where you’re coming from.

    It seems to me that the chocolate here is an absolute imperative – I mean whoever heard of strawberries and hazelnuts together without chocolate – it would be like a menage a trois with one person missing. Looks absolutely divine, and I have definitely bookmarked this for the time when strawberry season rolls around again in NZ!!

    Sue xo

  74. Martha (MM) says:

    Oh yummy Joanne! No really I’m sure they really did come straight from his garden – I’d convince myself of that too 🙂

  75. I love summertime crisps and this one looks fantastic! I’ve never been to NYC before, but every time I read about it I want to go more and more. Street vendors definitely don’t exist in my small little town and farmer’s markets are quite a drive away. Sigh. Worth the trip though for strawberries to make a summer dessert as fantastic as this one!

  76. Gloria says:

    Joanne look amazing and delicious! love it! gloria

  77. Miriam says:

    I know, strawberries and chocolate are very supportive and understanding on stressful days. Fabulous creation!!! Miriam@Meatless Meals For Meat Eaters

  78. Ada says:

    wow that is such a clever recipe! I would never think to put hazelnuts and strawberries together, but since strawberries go so well with chocolate and chocolate goes so well with hazelnuts it must work amazingly. And that sentence made no grammatical sense lol.

    I had SUCH a nice time with you yesterday, I’m so glad we finally got to meet:)

  79. Love the recipe. It looks so..morerish..

  80. Reeni says:

    This is exactly how I feel about blueberries! And zucchini. This is a delectable combo! Although I’m afraid of mushy strawberries. I’m going to find out if my fears are unfounded and bake something like this. I’m probably going to eat my words.

  81. 😀 I don’t blame ya… the frugal side of me always wins too 😀

  82. Wish i had that for dessert tonight!

  83. kankana says:

    That looks so yum yum yum ! Wish I had a cup in my hand right now 🙂

  84. Bizzy says:

    Of course, you are right. What would this dish be without the chocolate? I am not as smart as you and I am out of strawberries or I would be making this, now. Don’t check the time.
    Would you start something new for me and link this to Bake with Bizzy. I think Fruit Bakes would be wonderful to add to t he cakes and cookies.

    http://bizzybakesb.blogspot.com/2011/06/bake-with-bizzy-3.html

  85. Lea Ann says:

    Absolutely beautiful dessert Joanne! And as always fabulous photos.

  86. Carolyn Jung says:

    Hah! There could be far worse addictions than one to juicy, seasonal fruit. 😉
    As for “all organic, all the time”? I think it’s hard to do the right thing ALL the time. Who can, for goodness sake? But as long as we try to, our hearts — and stomachs — are in the right place. 😉

  87. I’d sabotage my diet for this delicious and creative-combo crisp! Delightful photography that always draws me in as if I am truly there in person! Roz

  88. Chris says:

    Oh yeah, this would rock with a big scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream.

  89. Victoria says:

    I’m eating strawberries. Right. Now. I’m sorry we didn’t get to hang out this week 🙁 Soon, I hope!

  90. Love this! Such a fresh dessert. Street vendors arent all bad – I pass one on my way to work and his figs are awesome!!

  91. I just finished a strawberry shortcake and now I wish I would have sprinkled chocolate chips over it 🙂

  92. Aarthi says:

    This looks yummy….you have a lovely blog…I am having a giveaway in my blog..Y dont you check and join that
    http://yummytummy-aarthi.blogspot.com/2011/05/chocolate-recipe-and-chocolate.html

  93. Emily says:

    Genius! I love all of these flavors together. We have to take advantage of the strawberries when they’re in season!

  94. Chocolate is an excellent addition. Fresh strawberries are one of the best things on earth. 😉

  95. Stephanie says:

    You are absolutely right, hazelnuts do NOT exist without chocolate. How could a recipe simply FORGET about the chocolate? It’s a good thing you were smart enough to catch that mistake a make it right. One word: delicious.

  96. What a beautiful crisp…will go check out your guest post 🙂

  97. Cara says:

    You eating organic all the time must be like people thinking I eat healthy all the time – but hey, we gotta live! And I would be living pretty well with a bowl of this crisp right now.

  98. elly says:

    This looks SO good. I’ve been wanting to see this post since you tweeted about it. I hope I can make this before strawberry season is over – I have so many recipes bookmarked!

  99. kellypea says:

    Yah, I’m not too into the exhaustmfume, urine smelling urban summer thing, so can ejoy the idea of this tasty dish instead. Tart and sweet? Mmm.

  100. kellypea says:

    Okay, without all those typos. IPads are not that swell to surf and comment on blogs with!

  101. grace says:

    oh, this is fun. three unlikely teammates, but they play together so well! i like your use of panko outside of the savory–very nice indeed.

  102. Megan says:

    Girl after my own heart as usual! Chocolate, hazelnuts, and strawberries… I am so in!

  103. Claudie says:

    This recipe, with all those chocolate chips, looks just fabulous! Really really tempting.

  104. I’ve never seen panko used in dessert, how fun!

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