Fruit & Oat Crumble

I make a lot of crumbles and crisps and for me this recipe is the ultimate fruit crumble. In the fall or winter I use apples and cranberries, in the spring strawberries and rhubarb, and in the summer plums and raspberries. It is important to buy fruit in season and to balance sweet with tart.  I love fruit desserts, partially because I prefer lighter desserts, partially because I don't crave chocolate, and partially because they are incredibly easy and forgiving to make. This recipe is about as easy as a dessert can get, and it works year round. It is heavy on the crumble topping so if you don't like a thick crumble use less topping.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter for coating dish
For the topping

2 cups rolled oats

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/3 cup brown sugar

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

For the fruit filling

1 1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons cinnamon (optional)

8 apples (peeled, cored and sliced) and 2 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen)

or

8-10 plums (cored and sliced) and 2 cups raspberries (fresh or frozen)

or 

2 pints strawberries (hulled and halved) and 1 bag of frozen rhubarb

Butter a 9x13 baking dish and preheat your oven to 375F. To make the topping combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, and salt. Stir in melted butter, press topping with hands to make small clumps. Put topping in freezer while making filling.

To make the fruit filling toss the fruit, sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Transfer to the baking dish. Press the topping onto fruit mixture. Bake for 60 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Bon appetit!