The name really does say it all. You can use any berries or chopped fruit to make this delicious and almost instant dessert, from the figs used here to peaches or raspberries. The crumble can also be assembled well in advance and baked when you’re ready. I like to serve it right out of the oven with a scoop or two of ice cream. It’s hard to imagine a more satisfying dessert.–John Besh
LC How the Crumb Topping Crumbles Note
This aptly named recipe is for those of you, dear readers, who like a little cinnamon in your crumb topping and a lot of latitude as to which fruit to use in your cobbler filling. It’s a year-round, no-brainer of a dessert if ever there was one–and trust us, it is a keeper of a recipe. Literally, seeing as we keep a resealable plastic bag of the crumble topping stashed in our freezer at all times. You know, for fruit crumble emergencies. And the variable fruit filling allows you to make this no matter what fruit is—or isn’t—in season. We’re more than a little partial to a combo of apples and pears as a less formal, less traditional last course for the Thanksgiving table.
Warm Fruit Crumble Recipe
Hands-On Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 55 minutes | Serves 8
Ingredients
- For the fruit filling
- 3 cups fresh figs, stems removed, or any chopped fruit or whole berries
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar (or more or less, depending on the sweetness of your fruit)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
- For the topping
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Directions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400˚F (204˚C).
- Make the fruit filling
- 2. In a large bowl, toss the fruit with the egg, brown sugar, flour, melted butter, and cinnamon to coat. Spoon the fruit mixture into individual ramekins or into a big baking dish (a 9-inch square or a 9-by-13-inch oblong dish will do quite nicely).
- Make the topping
- 3. Combine the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Using a pastry blender, two knives held criss-cross fashion, or your fingertips, cut the cold butter into the mixture until it’s crumbly. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit.
- 4. Bake the crumble until the fruit is bubbly and the topping turns a lovely shade of golden brown, about 25 minutes for ramekins, about 30 minutes for a baking dish. Serve warm.
Hungry for more? Chow down on these:
- Salted Caramel Peach Crumble Pie from Evil Shenanigans
- Fruit and Cream Mini-Tarts from Salad in a Jar
- Blueberry Crumble from Leite's Culinaria
- Blackberry and Apple Brown Betty from Leite's Culinaria
Warm Fruit Crumble Recipe © 2011 John Besh. Photo © 2011 Maura McEvoy. All rights reserved.
