Crumble
belongs to the group of simple baked desserts that combine fresh fruit with a
topping. What is unique about a crumble is that it has no bottom crust
and instead of a pastry topping, it uses a streusel-like mixture. The Crumble's
topping differs from a Crisp's in that it is left in fairly large pieces, not
processed until finely ground. It is very simple to make and once it
is placed over the fruit it is baked in the oven until the butter melts and the
ingredients form large clumps.
The topping
will turn a beautiful golden brown color and the texture will be crisp and
crumbly, hence the name. Crumbles and Crisps are especially
popular during the Fall and Winter months which just happens to coincide with
the cranberry, pear, and apple's harvest time. The combination of these
three fruits; sweet pears, tart cranberries and crisp apples, along with the
streusel topping are delicious, especially when served warm from the oven with a
scoop of vanilla ice cream.
This crumble's topping
contains old fashioned rolled oats. Oats are a cereal grain
that is rich and flavorful and comes in many forms. Very popular
in Northern Europe, Scotland and Ireland. Oats to be consumed by
humans are cleaned, toasted, hulled to become what we call oat groats. The oat groats are then steamed and flattened to become
rolled oats or old-fashioned oats. Old-fashioned rolled oats are not to be confused with
quick-cooking rolled oats. These are oats have been cut into
pieces before being steamed and rolled into thinner flakes. They
cook quickly, about 5 minutes, but their flavor and texture are a little
different than old-fashioned rolled oats. I do not recommend using
the quick-cooking rolled oats in this recipe.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
(190 degrees C) and place rack in the center of the oven. Butter or spray with a
nonstick cooking spray,
a 2 1/2 quart casserole or oval gratin dish, or a 10 inch (25 cm) deep dish pie plate. Set aside.
For Crumble
Topping: Combine
the flour, sugar, ground cinnamon, salt, oats and nuts in a large bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry
blender or two knives. The mixture should be crumbled to about the size of peas.
Set aside while you prepare the filling.
For Filling:
In a large bowl combine the sugar and cornstarch (corn flour). Peel, core, and slice the apples and pears and toss them,
along with the cranberries, in the sugar mixture.Once thoroughly combined transfer to the prepared baking dish Spread the topping evenly
over the fruit.
Bake for approximately
30-45
minutes or until the topping is golden brown and crisp. Remove from oven
and place on a wire rack to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve with softly whipped
cream or vanilla ice cream. Refrigerate leftovers and reheat before
serving.
Makes about 6 servings.
Sources:
Daley, Regan. 'In
the Sweet Kitchen'. Random House Canada: 2000.
Davidson, Alan.
'The Oxford Companion to Food'. Oxford: Oxford University Press,
1999.
Sax, Richard. 'Classic
Home Desserts'. Houghton Mifflin Company. New York:1994.
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