Tag Archives: crumble

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Coconut Crumble w/ Summer Fruit & Vanilla Ice Cream

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Even though I complain about the heat and humidity for the entire summer–I’m a fun housemate–there are still times that I HAVE TO turn on the oven. If I didn’t, there wouldn’t be pies and crumbles made with the bounty of summertime fruit that I just can’t resist buying.

While pies take a touch more time and care, and though they are always worth the effort, a crumble is an easy, laid back reminder that summer baking can be done without much fuss and with ingredients that are often already on hand. You can really use any fruit you like for the filling and the topping can take any number of mix-ins, or can be kept simple with just flour, sugar, salt, and butter. I love a crumble topping with lots of texture and this one delivers with chewy oats and toasty coconut. The warm richness of the topping pairs so nicely with the off-tart flavors of plum, raspberries, and blueberries.

Coconut Crumble w/ Summer Fruit

Feel free to use any mixture of fruit, I had about 4 1/2 cups and only sweetened it lightly, as the topping and ice cream are both a sweet compliment to the tartness of the fruit. 

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

pinch of salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

6 Tablespoons butter, cubed

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and work butter into the mixture with fingertips until you have coarse crumbs–some sandy bits and some that stick together in chunks. Set in refrigerator while you assemble the filling.

2 plums, seeded and sliced

8 ounces raspberries, rinsed and dried

12 ounces blueberries, rinsed and dried

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/4 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 375*F.

Combine all ingredients for the filling in a large bowl. Toss gently to combine. Scrape the fruit mixture into a 8-inch pie dish and top with refrigerated crumble. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until the top is golden and the juices are bubbling.

Vanilla Ice Cream

adapted from Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home

If you don’t have a vanilla bean, use 2-3 teaspoons of extract. 

2 cups milk

1 vanilla bean, split and seeded

4 teaspoons cornstarch

1 cup heavy cream

2/3 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3 Tablespoons (1/5oz) cream cheese, soft

In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup of milk with the cornstarch, set slurry aside. Set the cream cheese in a large bowl with a mesh strainer over the top. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan heat remaining milk with the cream and vanilla beans + pod. Heat to a simmer, cover, and remove from heat. Let steep for 30 minutes. Remove the vanilla pod from the milk mixture and add sugar, corn syrup, and salt,  reheat to a low boil. Quickly whisk in the cornstarch slurry and continue to boil, whisking, until thickened. Whisk a ladleful of the hot mixture into the cream cheese, before straining the remaining hot mixture into the cream cheese mixture and whisk to combine. Prepare an ice bath and pour the hot ice cream base into a large plastic bag. Chill bag in ice bath until cooled and process the mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturers instructions.

 

 

 

 

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Recipe: Brown Butter Rhubarb Crumble

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Rhubarb is such a strange beauty and totally magical, too.

It’s the ultimate harbinger of spring and definitely an old-fashioned beauty–classic and maybe a little unexpected. Despite how many times I bake and eat rhubarb, it always makes me swoon. It’s celery-like stalks and vegetal looks belie an unexpected tartness. When baked until bubbly, the aroma is undeniably fruity–almost like tart berries–while the juices run a luscious hot pink.

When I bake with rhubarb it’s all about tart, juicy, fruitiness. I like to keep it simple and relatively unadorned–I don’t want the flavor to be masked or hidden. I love it paired with simple pastry or crumble. Pie is always a delicious option and it pairs beautifully with creamy custards as well, but possibly one of the simplest and most satisfying preparations would have to be a crumble. Browned butter is mixed with flour, oats, sugar, and a bit of salt, which takes a rest in the refrigerator while rhubarb is chopped, tossed with sugar, vanilla bean, and cornstarch into a baking dish. Finally, the rhubarb is topped with the chunky crumble topping and baked until brown and bubbly. This dessert is perfect served with a dollop of something cool and creamy–vanilla ice cream is always the best choice, but whipped cream or creme fraiche are lovely as well.

Brown Butter Rhubarb Crumble

adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Rhubarb leaves are toxic, but are easily and safely removed by simply cutting off and discarding. I coarsely ground the oats in my mini-processor. You can leave them whole if you’d like. You can also sub 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla extract for the bean. I also like to err on the tart side, so up the sugar if you like a sweeter filling. 

for the crumble:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup rolled oats

1 teaspoon baking powder

6 Tablespoons sugar

pinch of salt

1 stick (4ounces) unsalted butter, browned

for the rhubarb filling:

2 pounds rhubarb, ends and toxic leaves removed

1/2 cup sugar

1 vanilla bean, seeded

pinch of salt

3 Tablespoons cornstarch

1 Tablespoon chilled, unsalted butter, cut into tiny cubes

Heat oven to 375*F.

To brown the butter, melt in a skillet over medium-low until solids are browned and fragrant like nutty toffee. Remove from heat and set aside while you gather the remaining crumble ingredients. In a large bowl stir together flour, oats, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Stir in the slightly cooled brown butter and set in the refrigerator or freezer while you prepare the filling.

Cut rhubarb into about 1-inch pieces–I like mine on a fairly sharp bias. In a large bowl rub vanilla seeds into sugar until combined and fragrant. Stir in salt and cornstarch, finally toss the rhubarb into the sugar mixture to coat well and scrape the mixture into a 9-inch pie plate or other desired baking dish. Sprinkle with cold, cubed butter, and top with chilled crumble mixture and bake for 45-60 minutes until top is golden browned and juices are bubbling. Allow to cool at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature, with ice cream if desired.

 

 

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Recipe: Raspberry Cornmeal Crumble Bars

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It really feels like spring has sprung around here. We’re having lots of sun with a little chill in the air, the days are getting longer, flowers are blooming, and it all has me craving berries and dreaming of summer.

Though berries aren’t really at their peak this early, I can’t help but daydream about tart/sweet berries nestled in crisp, textured crumbles. These bars make use of always-at-their-peak frozen berries. The easy crumble acts as both a base and topping, and with the addition of cornmeal and ground almonds, makes for the best sandy texture.

These bars are unassuming at first, but I find myself sneaking a corner here and there, the tartness of the berries next to the pleasant grain of the cornmeal and almonds works some sort of magic that keeps me coming back. I’ve been snacking on these with a cup of tea or coffee, but they are elevated even more served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream–taking these treats from a humble bar into the realm of a real-deal dessert.

Raspberry Cornmeal Crumble Bars

Adapted from Martha Stewart

I added lemon and vanilla to the crumble mixture, these additions aren’t necessary, but play nicely with the tart raspberries. 

3/4 cup natural almonds OR 1 cup almond meal

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

zest of 1 lemon

1 vanilla bean, split and seeded

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, melted

10 ounces frozen raspberries

Preheat oven to 350*F. Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on 2 sides.

In a food processor, if using whole almonds, pulse until almonds are finely ground, you should have about 1 cup. In a large bowl rub lemon and vanilla into sugar until fragrant and combined. Whisk in the ground almonds, cornmeal, flour, and salt. Stir in the melted butter and mix until the crumble is evenly moistened. Press about 2/3 of the crumble mixture, evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Scatter raspberries over the top and top with remaining crumble. Bake until the top is golden–about 35-40 minutes. Cool on a rack before cutting.

 

 

 

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Recipe: Apple-Pecan Crumble Bars for Fall

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Autumn or Fall, whatever you call it, is my very favorite of seasons.

It’s when the air turns crisp, mornings become cool, days become mild, the light begins to change, and the verdant landscape bursts into a spectrum of golds and reds. It’s the perfect season for long walks, hot beverages, sweaters and hoodies, tights and boots, cozy socks and new slippers, and warm meals full of comfort.

This is my first fall in Michigan and already I can feel how different it is here. Anyone familiar with northern Nevada will tell you that there are only 2 real seasons–Summer and Winter. The changing leaves never stick around, gusty winds carry them away with a quickness. If you’re lucky maybe a few spring and fall days will be scattered in between, but the weather there is fickle and tends toward extremes.

Fall here is the real deal.

Sean and I took the dogs for a walk this yesterday on the river trail and I couldn’t help but snap photo after photo. There was still a lot of green, but even this morning the lanscape has changed. Fallen leaves litter our yard and our trees are a mottled landscape of green and yellows, oranges and reds.

All of this change in a single day.

Simply amazing.

This is the season when baking is at it’s best–days when the oven on for hours doesn’t feel oppressive, but welcome.

I baked something with apples, that quintessentially autumn ingredient, to celebrate this favorite season.

Never a big fan of apple pie, I opted to go with these apple crumble bars. They were a suggestion from my blogger friend Megan, who has become a real deal friend since my move here to Michigan. We share a lot of likes (and dislikes!), fall included. We’ve both been dreaming of cozy, fall baking for a better part of the summer and now it’s finally here!

Hooray!

For fall, for friends, and for baking!

Apple-Pecan Crumble Bars

Adapted from Take A Megabite

I added more spice, some candied ginger, and pecans to make these bars my own. I just like things extra spicey and a little nutty.

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon fresh, grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon fresh, grated ginger

3 tablespoons chopped, candied ginger

1/2 cup chopped pecans

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

3 apples–cored, peeled, and diced

Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8×8 inch pan with foil or parchment and grease well. Set aside.

In a large bowl toss together flour, salt, spices, sugars, nuts, and candied ginger. Using your fingers rub butter into dry mixture until the crumb mixture clumps together when pressed. Divide the crumb mixture in half. Mix half of the mixture with the apples. Divide the remaining crumbs and press half into the bottom of the pan. Bake the base for 10 minutes.

Allow base to cool slightly and top with apple/crumb mixture. Top apples with remaining crumbs and press down. Bake for another 45 minutes. When it is done the tope will be golden brown and crumbly. Cool pan on a wire rack and cut into squares.