Crumbles

I love fruit. And brown sugar. How better to combine them than in crumbles? Fruit crumbles (or crisps) are homey, warm and just sweet enough. Plus, they are the perfect way of using up end-of-season fruit. I can still buy raspberries and blackberries here -- berries which look terrific but taste flat. Combine them with a bit of sugar, some rolled oats and heat and, presto, they come alive!

Crumbles and crisps are versatile: fruits can be combined at will, and the topping can vary depending on the contents of your pantry. The only trouble is if you want your crumble to crumble, or your crisp to be crisp. Mine always come out slightly less than crumbly, and definitely less than crisp -- but I don't let it bother me. In fact, I prefer it this way: this is, after all, supposed to be a simple, homey dish, not an extravagant creation to be labored over. The only rule I regularly follow is to add cornstarch to juicy fruits (see berry crumble recipe, below). Non-juicy fruits (see apple crumble recipe, even further below) don't need the same encouragement to cohere.

Berry crumble

What you need:

• berries, enough to nearly fill a round or square 8" or 9" pan (recently, I've used combinations of raspberries, blackberries and blueberries)
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar, depending on the sweetness of the berries
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 to 1 stick butter, cut into very small pieces and very cold (stick it in the freezer)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• scant 1/4 cup sugar
• up to 1/2 cup of rolled oats, slivered almonds, crumbled walnuts, etc.

What you do:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Place the berries in a large bowl and gently stir in the cornstarch, the 1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar, and the vanilla.
• In a food processor, mix the flour, brown sugar, scant 1/4 cup sugar, and oats/nuts until just combined. Sprinkle the butter over top and pulse in five second bursts until the butter is evenly distributed.
• Place the berries in a baking dish, and cover with topping. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving.
• Serve with lots of vanilla ice cream!

Apple crumble

What you need:

• crisp baking apples, cored and cut into chunks (enough to fill a square or round 8" or 9" baking dish) (don't bother peeling the apples -- it's a lot of work, and the peel adds taste and sweetness to the crumble)
• heaping 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 3/4 to 1 stick butter, cut into small pieces and very cold (stick it in the freezer)
• 3/4 cup rolled oats, slivered almonds, chopped nuts, etc. 

What you do:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Combine all topping ingredients except the butter in a food processor. Mix until just combined. Scatter the butter on top and pulse in five second bursts until the butter is just incorporated.
• Place the top topples in a baking pan, and cover with topping. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving.
• Serve with lots of vanilla ice cream!

(Why are there no photos? Autumn has fallen on Budapest, and it is gray and overcast and raining. There is no good light in the house. I need to do something about this.)