Plum and apple play so nicely together tossed with cinnamon and ginger and baked under a perfect, buttery crumble topping! Here's a dessert that's quick, easy, and can take you from summer right into fall.
Always trying to come to a definitive answer in the "what's better: crisps or cobblers?" debate and instead of locking in and nailing down a preference, I'm throwing in a third option (WHICH MIGHT BE THE BEST): the crumble.
This one has apple and plum in a delightful cinnamon and ginger mixture. The apples give it lots of body and texture and there's so much rich flavor and COLOR from the baked plums.
"Crumble" really is a spot on name for this because the topping isn't cakey and it's not doughy. It's just sweet, crumbly morsels that are perfectly buttery and crisp on the top and moist underneath.
So excited about this because I love old-fashioned summertime desserts and it's so good when the fruit is perfect and you can just toss it in some sugar and spices, sprinkle on a crumbly topping of some sort, and bake.
The Fruit
The Apples
I used Granny Smith here because they're easy to find during plum season. Plus, the tartness is a nice balance to the sweet plums.
You'll want to peel and core the apples, then slice into about 1/4-inch thick slices. Slicing them thin will ensure they'll finish baking by the time the crumble topping is sufficiently browned.
The Plums
When slicing plums, it's easiest to just cut the flesh off from around the pit. I find that - unless I have a particularly cooperative plum - trying to cut one in half and cleanly extract the pit is a rather messy and fruitless (literally, you will be left with almost no fruit by the time it's all mangled) endeavor.
And no need to peel them! The skin softens so much while baking that they're really not noticeable.
The Crumble Topping
Make this topping so easy using your stand mixer! Just whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and egg until the egg is fully incorporated and the dry ingredients form moist little crumbs.
(You can also get the exact same result - albeit with more hands on effort - with a fork in a large mixing bowl.)
Sprinkle the crumble topping over the fruit mixture. Pour over the melted butter - getting as much of the topping buttery as you can. Then bake!
Serve this warm or at room temperature. Definitely with ice cream for dessert, and with yogurt if you're having leftovers for breakfast!
Reheating
The crumble topping will be the best texture in the first 6 or so hours out of the oven. To recreate its freshly-baked crispiness, reheat the crumble in the oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
Buttery Plum + Apple Crumble
Ingredients
For the fruit
- 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 pound plums (about 6 large or 8 small plums), cut into 1-inch wedges
- 1 pound Granny Smith apples (about 2 large or 3 medium apples) peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
For the topping
- 1 cup flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.Whisk together the brown sugar, flour, ginger, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the sliced plums and apples and toss to combine. Transfer to an ungreased 9-inch pie pan and spread in an even layer.In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add the egg and mix on low speed until fully incorporated. The dry ingredients will form little crumbs here. Sprinkle over the fruit. Pour the melted butter over top, making sure that all of the crumble topping is covered. Bake 35-40 minutes, until fruit is bubbling and top is crisp. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Inspired by Orangette.
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