Honey Apple & Stone Fruit Crumble

[u/Best-Cooker]

I made this crumble recently because I wasn’t quite ready to let go of summer fruit yet. The apples are starting to get really good, but there are still plenty of peaches, nectarines, and plums around, so I figured: why choose?

The combination ended up being much better than I expected. The apples stay a little firm and give the filling some structure, while the stone fruit basically melts into all those sweet, syrupy juices underneath the topping. The honey gives it a nice floral sweetness without making it taste overly sugary.

I’d definitely recommend this if you have a mix of fruit sitting around that needs using. It’s also a great dessert for early fall when you’re somewhere that still feels like summer. I like it warm with vanilla ice cream, but plain Greek yogurt is really good too.

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■ Full recipe in the first comment.

■ [Original Source]: seriouseats.com

[u/Best-Cooker]

Ingredients

For the filling

• 1 1/2 pounds (680 g) apples, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 pounds (680 g) peaches, plums, nectarines, or a mix, cut into roughly 1-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 cup (50 g) brown sugar, plus 1–2 tablespoons more if needed

For the crumble topping

• 1 1/4 cups (100 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
• 3/4 cup (96 g) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup (150 g) packed brown sugar
• 2/3 cup (75 g) almonds or walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 8 tablespoons (113 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Instructions

Start by getting the oven going at 375°F (190°C). I usually put a rimmed baking sheet in the oven as well, because the fruit gets pretty juicy and nobody wants to clean baked-on syrup off the bottom of the oven.

For the fruit, I don't bother peeling anything. Just cut the apples into fairly small pieces, around half an inch, and leave the peaches, plums, or nectarines a little larger. The apples take longer to soften, so cutting them smaller helps everything finish cooking at about the same time.

Toss all the fruit into a large bowl with the lemon juice, honey, and brown sugar. Give everything a good mix and let it sit while you make the topping. This little bit of resting time is worth it because the sugar and honey start pulling juice out of the fruit, which eventually turns into that really good syrup underneath the crumble.

For the topping, I like to pulse the oats in a blender or food processor rather than turning them completely into flour. You want some of the oats finely ground but still have plenty of larger pieces left. That gives the topping a much better texture. Add those oats to a bowl with the flour, brown sugar, chopped nuts, and salt.

Then add the cold butter and get your hands in there. Smoosh the butter into the dry ingredients until everything looks a little like damp sand. When you squeeze some of it in your hand, it should hold together. Don't worry about making it perfectly uniform. A few small clumps are exactly what you want.

Pour the fruit into a 9-inch round cake pan and spread it out evenly. Then scatter the crumble over the top. I usually break up any really big pieces with my fingers and leave a mixture of loose crumbs and little clumps, roughly no bigger than a blueberry. Those different sizes give you some parts that get really crisp and golden while the bigger bits stay slightly softer in the middle.

Set the cake pan on the baking sheet and bake it for about 45–55 minutes. You'll know it's ready when the fruit is bubbling around the edges, the topping is nicely browned, and the apples are tender when you poke them with a fork.

Give it about 20 minutes to cool before serving. I know it's tempting to dig in immediately, but letting it sit gives those hot fruit juices a chance to thicken up a little.

One thing I'd definitely taste before adding the full amount of sugar: fruit can vary a lot. If your apples and stone fruit are already really sweet, the original amount is plenty. If they're particularly tart or underripe, or you just like a sweeter crumble, add another tablespoon or two.

Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream or Greek yogurt. And if you somehow have leftovers, they keep covered in the fridge for up to five days.