DIY Stonefruit crumble
/The easiest, make-ahead, assemble-yourself dessert that celebrates summer produce and lets guests (or picky kids) customize it to their liking.
What's better than a summer crumble, amiright? It's the easiest dessert because you don't have to deal with a finicky pie crust or fish out any special kitchen gadgets (or even non-special ones like the mixer). However, the downside of a crumble is that it often requires 40-50 minutes in the oven, which means 40-50 minutes of heating up your house. No thanks!
This "crumble" lets the ripe seasonal fruit be the star— it's just chopped and mixed with a little lemon juice to prevent browning— while a quick bake of the crumble topping adds crunch and a fresh honey whipped cream adds a little decadence. And ALL of this is toddler approved, especially the part where you get to DIY the toppings.
The crumble topping was a bit of an experiment. I started with a recipe from King Arthur Flour. Initially, I used all coconut sugar and tried to sub in coconut oil for the butter, but it burned almost every time and tasted burned even when it wasn't quite baked yet. Gross. The proportions I landed on are buttery and caramel-y and form a crispy cookie that’s easy to break once it cools. But, if you don’t have coconut sugar, using all brown sugar works well too!
DIY stone fruit crumble
3.5-4 lbs mixed stone fruit (I used 6 peaches, 6 plums, 5 nectarines, and 6 apricots)
1 large lemon or 2 Tbsp lemon juice
Chop the fruit (leave the skins on) and cover with lemon juice to prevent browning. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
For the crumble:
Adapted from King Arthur Flour
½ cup melted butter
½ cup coconut sugar
¼ cup brown sugar, loosely packed (or, use 3/4 cup loosely packed brown sugar if you don’t have coconut sugar)
¾ cup whole wheat or AP flour
½ cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
Preheat oven to 300.
Melt the butter in a large bowl. Add the dry crumble ingredients to the bowl and mix well. Spread onto a baking sheet in a thin, even layer.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, checking every 5 minutes to prevent burning.
Let cool for about 30 minutes or until the cookie can be easily snapped into pieces.
Yield: 3.5 cups crumble
For the honey whipped cream:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Whip the cream until soft peaks form, about 5-6 minutes. Add the honey, vanilla, and salt and whip for 3-4 more minutes, until the cream has reached your desired consistency. Don’t overmix or the cream will turn into butter.
Yield: 3 cups
Serves: 6-8