Healthy Eating: Fruit and berry crumble

Right now, my rhubarb patch is bursting with beautiful red stalks of deliciousness. The strawberries are all flowering, which I hope results in a banner year for berries. Rhubarb and strawberries are a perfect combination for pies, crisps and crumbles, which are some of my favorite things to bake. Making a crumble is a fantastic way to use up fruit that you may have in your freezer, too.

For this recipe, you can combine any of your favorite berries and fruit (recently this meant using rhubarb, raspberries and strawberries) into a healthy oat crumble. When I make the crumble topping, I often double the recipe because it freezes well, and I’ll have some on hand for a quick dessert. This is delicious the next day for breakfast, too. It has heart healthy oats in it after all.

Head to your freezer, garden or farmer’s market and use some of your favorite fruit combinations to whip up this crumble.

Fruit and berry crumble

Ingredients

For the crumble topping:
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted; plus more for the skillet
1 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

For the filling:
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons pure vanilla bean paste or extract
2 pounds mixed berries and fruit of choice
1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Vanilla bean ice cream for serving

Instructions

1. Place one oven rack in the top third of the oven and one in the middle. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Butter a 12-inch cast-iron skillet or 9×13-inch baking dish.
3. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
4. Make the crumble topping: In a medium bowl, add the brown sugar and lemon zest.
5. Using your fingers, rub the zest into the sugar until pale orange and fragrant, about one minute.
6. Add the flour, oats, cinnamon, and salt. Using a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, mix well.
7. Add the melted butter and mix until evenly combined and pea-sized crumbles form.
8. Make the filling: In a large bowl, whisk the orange zest, lemon zest, orange juice, lemon juice, cornstarch and vanilla until no clumps remain.
9. Add the berries, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, and then toss with a spoon until evenly coated.
10. Transfer the berry mixture and all the juices to the buttered skillet and place on top of the lined sheet pan. Sprinkle the crumble evenly on top.
11. Bake for 35 minutes. Raise the heat to 400°F, transfer the pan to the top rack of the oven and continue to bake for about 35 minutes more (70 minutes total) until the top is golden and crisp and the fruit is thick and bubbly. If you want the crumble extra toasty, turn the broiler on high for the last two to three minutes. Allow to cool for at least five minutes.

To serve: Divide among serving bowls and top with a big scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or yogurt.

Deborah Binder lives in Edmonds with her family. She loves to cook from scratch using produce from the gardens she created with her husband. She attended culinary school and worked for restaurants, caterers and culinary schools. Her current interest in food is learning to eat for health and wellness, while at the same time enjoying the pleasures of the table. Deborah loves experimenting and developing new recipes. As Julia Child once said, “Everything in moderation including moderation.” Deborah can be contacted at [email protected].