Holiday Apple Crisp

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup unsweetened dried cherries
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 cup trans-fat-free margarine
• 1/2 cup whole-grain pastry flour
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp granular sugar substitute
• 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp ground nutmeg
• 9 Granny Smith apples, sliced (9-10 cups)
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Makes 12 (1-cup) Servings

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly coat a 9x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Place cherries and water in a bowl and soak cherries until ready to use.
3. Meanwhile, combine oats, margarine, 1/4 cup of the flour, 1/4 cup of the sugar substitute, 1 tbsp of the cinnamon and 1/2 tbsp of the nutmeg in a medium bowl; stir until mixture is crumbly.
4. Toss apples and lemon juice together in a large bowl. Add remaining 1/4 cup flour, 2 tbsp sugar substitute, remaining 1 tbsp cinnamon and remaining 1/2 tbsp nutmeg; stir to combine.
5. Place apples in baking dish. Pour cherries and soaking water over apple mixture; toss gently to combine. Sprinkle oat topping evenly over fruit. Bake until apples are tender, about 40 minutes. Serve warm.

WW POINTS VALUE: 3 pts

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook. This is a warm and fruity dish that's sweet and tangy from the flavors of the apples and cherries. I highly recommend using 1 cup of fresh cherries because they add more flavor and zing to the dish. I also added nutmeg to this dish because it goes well with apples, cherries and cinnamon.  This is also a wonderful dish for the winter because it will heat your kitchen and your soul. You can even top it with a dollop of creme fresh, ice cream or yogurt if you'd like.