We are deep into the heat of summer, which thankfully comes with delicious berry season.

You can enjoy fresh berries plain, with ice cream, or with whipped cream. But berries that have been roasted or baked have a deeper, richer flavor.

That’s why I love cobblers, pies crisps.

Blueberries are plentiful and can be the best answer for a homemade dessert in a flash. Diners at my house have eaten so many blueberries, they are bored with them.

I have finally come up with a new way to add interest. Mix fresh blueberries with another fruit and use the result as the base for baked mixed berry desserts.

Mixing strawberries and blueberries is a classic combo, but think about going one step further. Mix three types of berries for an amazing depth of flavor.

Or, if you can’t find a second or third type of berry that appeals to you, think about adding a drained jar of pitted dark cherries to a pint of blueberries.

One of the most important things I have learned about making a succulent, rich crisp is using more fruit than I think I need and mixing that fruit with a thickener such as tapioca.

This allows the fruit juices to create a thicker, richer fruit filling. Another good idea is to add a touch of lemon or orange zest or cinnamon to your fruit mix, to add another layer of flavor.

I like the ease of mixing up a quick crisp, which can take just a few minutes if you have a small food processor. Then, it’s just a matter of baking it and pairing the result with a touch of ice cream or whipped cream for an amazing dessert.

Here’s the recipe I use most often, which can be expanded or shrunk depending on the number of servings you need—and is so easy, you can make the crumble topping in three to five minutes.

Fresh Mixed Berry/Cherry Crumble

For the fruit
4-6 cups of fresh blueberries, pitted cherries, chopped strawberries and/or blackberries
½ cup sugar
2 Tablespoons Tapioca
½ teaspoon grated fresh citrus rind or cinnamon

For the crumb topping
6 Tablespoons of soft butter
½ cup flour
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon fresh grated lemon rind

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Gently but thoroughly mix the fruit with the ½ cup sugar and the tapioca. Put it in a baking dish. Mix the topping ingredients together with a food processor or two knives, until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is distributed throughout. (If you’d like more texture, you can substitute oatmeal for the flour.) Sprinkle the topping over the fruit. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the topping is browned and the fruit bubbling. Let the crisp cool down for 15-20 minutes and serve it with whipped cream or ice cream.

Makes 4 to 6 servings