Fall is a great season for forest fruits and berries, with many different types becoming available, depending on where you are in the world. Berry picking is a favorite fall pastime in many countries, from Canada to Croatia, and there are hundreds of ways to make use of them. While pies are a popular fall dessert, crumbles tend to be used more with summer fruits. This recipe really questions whether that should be the case, though – try it and you’ll see why crumbles and forest fruits seem destined to be combined.
What You’ll Need:
It’s always more fun and satisfying to forage for your own berries. Depending on where you live, you may have access to all the berries you need, or you might need to find some of these in your local supermarket.
Collect as much fruit as you need to fill the plates you want to fill. Around seven cups of fruit, or a pan-full, will probably get you around eight servings of crumble. At this time of year, you want to be looking for blackberries, raspberries, cranberries and blueberries. These will make up the main part of the fruit crumble. You can also collect rosehips (be sure to remove the seeds) and elderberries to compliment the flavor.
Set aside around half a cup of white sugar for the filling, or slightly more if you have something of a sweet tooth. You’ll also need a couple tablespoons of cornstarch and a teaspoon of cinnamon powder. For a full taste of fall, add a tablespoon of ground hazelnuts, too.
You’ll then need a cup of flour, a half cup of brown sugar, a teaspoon of baking powder and around five ounces of butter.
How to Make the Filling:
Before you start making the filling, preheat your oven to 380 Fahrenheit. Wash the fruit and remove any inedible parts such as stems and leaves. Mix them together with the cornstarch, cinnamon and hazelnut powder. Toss them around and taste a little for sweetness – if it’s too tart, add a little more sugar. Once it’s ready, pour this mixture into the baking dish and spread it evenly.
Now, whisk the flour together with the baking powder and brown sugar. Add some butter and mix it all up into crumbs with a fork – push the butter into the flour and sugar mix until it resembles crumble.
Once that’s done, you can then spread the crumble evenly over the fruit mixture, in the baking tray.
Cooking and Serving the Forest Fruit Crumble:
By now, your oven should have reached the desired temperature. Place it in the top of the oven and check after 30 to 35 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when you see that the crumble has turned a beautiful golden brown, and the fruit mixture is bubbling around the edge of the tray.
You must allow the crumble time to cool before serving. Allow 15 to 20 minutes for this. Alternatively, refrigerate it, once cooled, and then lightly microwave it later.