Fruit Crumble

Source: New York Times, July 8, 2020

Ingredients

Topping

• 1½ cups flour
• ½ cup rolled oats
• ⅓ cup light or dark brown sugar
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp cardamom, ginger, or allspice
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Filling

• 2 to 5 tbsp light brown sugar, depending on sweetness of fruit
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 8 cups mixed berries (fresh or frozen)
• ice cream or whipped cream, for serving

Method

Topping

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, sugars, salt, and spices. Stir in the butter. Using your hands, squish the mixture until coarse crumbs form. Some should be about ½ inch in size, some smaller.

3. Spread the topping in one layer onto a rimmed baking sheet. (No need to grease the sheet.) Bake until the crumbs are solid when you gently press them, and are fragrant, about 15 minutes. They won’t change appearance very much. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool while you make the filling. (Crumbs can be baked up to 2 days ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.)

Filling and Assembly

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch until well combined. Add the fruit and gently toss to coat with the sugar mixture. Pour the filling into an ungreased 2-quart gratin dish or 10-inch cake pan, mounding the fruit in the center.

2. Spoon the crumbs over the filling and place the crumble dish on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any overflowing juices. Bake until the filling bubbles energetically around the edges, about 55 to 65 minutes. Let cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream or whipped cream, if you like.

Notes

Crumble can be made up to 8 hours ahead and kept at room temperature, or warmed up briefly in a 350°F oven.