Serves 6 to 8

Notes

Crumbles are not Italian, but I have learned to love them because they are very Italian in spirit- fresh fruit and a simple topping come together to create a homey dessert everyone will love. The trick to making a crisp, clumpy topping is to squeeze the clumps a little.

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • Filling
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces, plus 1 tablespoon, softened, for the baking dish
  • 3 pounds cooking apples, such as Golden Delicious, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 2 cups fresh cranberries
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • Topping
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup chopped almonds
  • 3/4 cup rolled oats (old-fashioned, not instant)
  • 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, slightly softened
Lidia’s a Pot, a Pan, and a Bowl      (Photo Credit: Armando Rafael)

Cookbook

Lidia’s a Pot, a Pan, and a Bowl (Photo Credit: Armando Rafael)

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Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a large cast-iron skillet. Combine the apples, cranberries, granulated sugar, flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and lemon juice in a large bowl, and toss well. Transfer to the skillet. Dot the top with the cold butter pieces.

Wipe out the bowl, and make the topping. Add the flour, almonds, oats, brown sugar, ginger, nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to the bowl. Toss to combine. Cut the cutter into five or six pieces. Work the butter in with your fingers until the topping is evenly moistened.

Squeeze clumps of the topping in your palm, a few tablespoons at a time, and scatter them over the fruit. Bake until the crumble topping is golden and crisp and the fruit juices are bubbly, about 40 to 50 minutes. Cool on a rack, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Lidia’s a Pot, a Pan, and a Bowl      (Photo Credit: Armando Rafael)

Cookbook

Lidia’s a Pot, a Pan, and a Bowl (Photo Credit: Armando Rafael)

Order