Desserts

Smoke-Roasted Berry Crisp on Spark Precision Charcoal Grill!

I’m not much of a baker, but luckily my mother and my two sisters prepare delicious baked goods for all our family events. I recognize that baking is a more meticulous process than direct grilling a steak. My few attempts at baking have all been on one of my grills. So, since baking requires a level of precision and l like to cook everything outside, I thought the Spark Precision Charcoal Grill (Spark) would be the right grill to bake a berry crisp.

Using the Spark Grill

I recently tried to persuade readers that charcoal grilling is not as difficult as you think in my blog “Lamb Kebabs and Smoked Mac ’N’ Cheese Made Easy on the Spark Grill.” Here I will present another way to cook over charcoal with the ease of a gas grill.

The Spark grill heats up in 10 minutes and the temperature stays consistent during the cooking process, which is ideal for anything you might want to grill or smoke. The Spark grill can direct grill or smoke, and it even cooks pizzas in minutes.

The Spark grill is fueled with one of their charcoal briqs. Spark’s variety of briqs include the quick, the everyday, the high heat, and the “low and slow” briq. You select a briq based on the expected duration of your cook and the temperature you need.

I knew the Spark grill would allow me to add a smoky aroma to the berry crisp and provide the accurate temperature control required for baking. I used Steven’s Berry Crisp recipe as my guide, but I added my own twist. Here is how it all came together.

Smoke-Roasted Berry Crisp Recipe

To ignite the Spark grill, I placed an everyday briq in the front-loading charcoal drawer and then simply turned the dial to “spark-up” the grill. So easy and no mess. I selected the everyday briq based on the temperature I wanted and the anticipated duration of the cook.

One of the cool options with the Spark grill I did not mention in my last blog is the grill cover. It is unique since it covers the entire grill, top and bottom. This is great if you live near water or just want to prolong the life of your Spark Precision Charcoal Grill.

While the Spark heated up, I prepared my berry crisp. This is an easy dessert to put together, and it can be made ahead of time and cooked while your family or guests are eating dinner.

My twist to the recipe was using a combination of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries instead of all blueberries. The berries are mixed with flour, sugar, lemon zest and juice, and placed in an oiled 10-inch cast iron skillet. The berries were topped with a crumble that consisted of ginger snap cookies, brown sugar, flour, and butter.

The Results

The crisp cooked at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. The top become golden brown and crusty. I let the crisp rest for 10 minutes. I spooned out the berry crisp and served it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I enjoyed the sweetness of all the fruit. All the berries were warm, delicious, and soft.

The ginger snaps and brown sugar created a crispy crust that contrasted well with the soft and sweet berries. Each bite also had a subtle smoky aroma since I cooked it over charcoal…flavor you just can’t get baking in the oven. As the ice cream melted it mingled with all the berries and took the whole dish over the top. The red strawberries, the vanilla ice cream, and blueberries create a red, white, and blue dessert perfect for a fourth of July cookout.

The only thing easier that putting the berry crisp together was the use of the Spark grill!

What is your smoked dessert of choice? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, or Instagram!