Does everyone love crumbles as much as I do? Sweet, warm fruit topped with a buttery streusel topping, really nothing gets much better. And this crumble is honestly the best I’ve ever made…possibly the best I’ve ever had, which I don’t say lightly. I come from a family of crumbles. Strawberry and rhubarb in the spring, apple and cranberry in the fall, really whatever fruit is in season is free game. Today when I told my mom about the wonderful strawberries and nectarines that were on sale in Greensboro, her first thought was “Oh, are you going to make a crumble?!” Best. Idea. Ever. The fruit is so ripe and sweet it verges on jammy, and the topping is the best complement. Thanks, Mom, you were right again!
Strawberry Nectarine Crumble
-1 lb strawberries, hulled and quartered
-3-4 nectarines, sliced into wedges
-Zest of ½ lemon
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-3 Tbsp dark brown sugar, divided
-1/2 c flour
-1/2 c old fashioned oats
-3/4 tsp baking powder
-4 Tbsp cold butter
-Pinch of salt
Preheat your oven to 375⁰. Mix the fruit, lemon zest, vanilla, and 1 Tbsp brown sugar in an 8 inch pan. If your fruit is already super sweet, feel free to leave out the sugar in this step. In a separate bowl, add all other ingredients and combine with your fingers. Don’t go too far here—you still want to have a few clumps of butter. I suggest letting the flour mixture sit in the fridge for half an hour (or up to a day) before you top the fruit with it. This will give the butter time to get hard again and will give you better crumbles. Top your fruit and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until everything is nice and golden brown. Enjoy!
Adeline Alley 