Brrr. It is 18 degrees Fahrenheit out and I am dreaming of a summer fruit crisp, although to be fair, I have never really figured out the difference between a cobbler, a crumble and a crisp. To me the three, especially when made with a mélange of fruits, are synonymous… and delicious. I tried a number of different recipes including a plum cobbler that was spectacular in color but too sweet, and a mixed fruit cobbler that had an ultra sweet topping, so I went for my own concoction. My favorite type of crumble though is one made with peaches (& or nectarines), plums, berries, cherries, apples and mixed berries. While it is ideal to make it with fresh fruit, I often use frozen cherries or frozen berries. The best time to make this is in the summer when plums and peaches are out and you can still find a few apples. The peaches taste delicious, the plums (just a few) turn it a magnificent purplish/magenta color and I always like to add an apple or two as it gives it body and consistency. You can also use cherries. I use frozen cherries from Costco as they are already pitted and we have them in the freezer in the summer. Count cherries in the weight of the fruit. Berries, fresh or frozen, you want about a cup. Raspberries add a smidge of tartness which is nice. This dish is great because it smells wonderful while baking, can be made days ahead and can be eaten cold, room temperature or hot. It is definitely a family favorite. As you read the recipe, don’t stress if you don’t have the exact types or quantities of fruit listed, go with what you have.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds firm, ripe stone fruit & apple – about 3 peaches, 2-3 plums & 1-2 small apples (optional: a handful of cherries- pitted and cut in half)
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange or lemon juice. Store bought will work too.
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup fresh or frozen berries (1/2 pint) (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries – you can use all of one type of a mix of them)
- TOPPING
- ¾ cups flour
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup oatmeal
- 1 stick cold butter, diced
Step-by-Step Directions
1.  | Peel & remove seeds/pits from peaches/nectarines and apples. Cut fruit into bite size pieces. If using cherries, pit cherries and cut in half. |
   2.  | Put fruit in a medium sized bowl. Add 1/2 C granulated sugar, 1/4 C flour to fruit and 2T orange or lemon juice. Mix well. |
 3.  | Add 1 C of berries (fresh or frozen). Mix gently. Set aside. Let sit at least 15 minutes. |
   4.  | Prepare topping In a small bowl, combine ¾ cups flour, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 cup oatmeal, 1 stick cold butter, diced. Using your hands, squish the butter into the dry ingredients until everything is thoroughly combined and uniform in texture and color. |
 5.  | Pour the fruit mixture into a baking pan. Spread the fruit out. Distribute different types of fruit evenly. |
 6.  | Distribute the topping over the fruit. Try to cover everything. You may want to grab chunks and flatten them out a bit to cover everywhere. |
 7.  | Bake until topping is lightly browned and liquid around fruit is bubbling and looks shiny and slightly thick. 45 min to 1 hour. |
 8.  | Serve plain or with vanilla ice cream. Best eaten slightly warmer than room temperature. |
Recipe Inspiration – Ina Garten Peach & Blueberry Crumble