Apricot And Cherry Crumble
serves 4-6
In her Comfort Me With Apples, Ruth Reichl wrote about a fresh apricot pie that is simplicity itself. Put halved apricots in a pie shell and top with a rich streusel topping. We like to skip the pie crust and add sugary cherries to the apricots so that every bite is a burst of sweet-tart fruit.
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
8 small apricots, halved and pitted
25-30 cherries, pitted
prep: 20 minutes
total: 1 hour 15 minutes
small saucepan
medium bowl
9-inch pie plate or ceramic baking dish
1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. For the topping: In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Pour the butter into a medium bowl and then stir in the sugar, flour, nutmeg, vanilla and lemon zest. Use your hands to mix everything together and then let the mixture cool while you pit the fruit.
3. Place the halved apricots in the pan with the rounded skin sides up. Sprinkle the cherries in between the apricots. Crumble the topping over the fruit.
4. Cook for 10 minutes uncovered and then lower the heat to 350F. Cook until the topping is browned and crunchy, 45-60 minutes. Let the crumble cool for 5-10 minutes and serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
