Fruit Dessert

Ingredients needed for each unit to prepare a 1/2 recipe of the Cheese Apple Crisp:

Background for Teachers

The teacher needs to have a good understanding about fruits, how to select, and care for them and the preparation guidelines to preserve the nutrients, color, flavor and texture without having the fruits oxidize during preparation.

Student Prior Knowledge

The student needs to know the importance of fruits in the diets and how to select and prepare them to preserve the nutrients, color, flavor and texture without having the fruits oxidize during preparation.

Intended Learning Outcomes

The student will prepare a fruit dessert applying the guidelines in selecting and preparing a fruit in preserving the nutrients, color, flavor and texture. They will identify and show ways of preventing fresh fruits from oxidizing when cut and exposed to the air.

Instructional Procedures

Handouts: Lab Planning Sheet, recipe for Cheese Apple Crisp, Three of a Kind for review.

Lab Activity: Prior to class, have the ingredients needed to prepare lab out on supply table for the students to get and measure. Read and explain the recipe to the students.

Some of the students will complain about the cheese in the recipe. They can leave it out if they prefer. I tell them that fruit and cheese are often times served together as a dessert. They go hand in hand together. Years ago, Marie Callender's menu stated next to their apple pie, "Apple pie without cheese is like a hug without a squeeze".

I explain the difference between an eating apple and a cooking apple. Show some examples if you have them available.

Review ways of preventing oxidation in cut fruits and identify how the lemon juice in the recipe will protect the color of the apple from browning.

They will need to quickly quarter, core and peel the apples, and slice into thin slices. Place in saucepan and add a small amount of water and cook until tender. You can tell if they are tender by placing a fork in them or if they appear transparent in color. (Reserve 1 tbs. of the apple water after cooking to cover the apples in a casserole dish before draining the apples.)

Put the cooked, drained apples in a greased casserole dish. Pour the lemon juice and the reserved apple water over the top. Cover apples with topping.

Combine the dry ingredients together making sure water is NOT added to the dry milk. Cut in the margarine and grated cheese with a pastry blender. The mixture should be crumbly. Bake in oven.

Clean-up the unit and for a review activity, work on the Three of a Kind. Explain the directions on top of page. From the list of four fruits or vegetables, cross out the one that does not belong with the others and then identify from the list above what the three have in common.

When the Cheese Apple Crisp has finished baking, remove from oven, let cool if possible as it will be very hot to eat. The tables should be set. Serve the crisp on individual plates in their unit.

I generally put the Cool Whip with a spoon on the supply table for the students to put a dollop of topping on their own serving.

Allow enough time for the students to eat, evaluate, and clean-up before leaving. Go over and correct the Three of a Kind if time is available or do it at the start of the following class.