This easy fruit crumble bursts with the flavor of tangy-sweet plums sharpened with ginger and a touch of cinnamon and sea salt. The gentle spices bridge the transition from summer to fall when plums are at their peak. The chewy-crisp texture of the topping is completely addictive. Serve with something cold and creamy; plain yogurt or crème fraîche for breakfast, or sour cream, vanilla or yogurt-honey ice cream for dessert. See the variation below for a gluten-free version.
Prep Time: 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 45 minutesminutes
Total: 1 hourhour
Servings: 8servings
Ingredients
The plum filling:
2tablespoonslightly packed brown sugar
1 1/2tablespoonsall-purpose flour
1/4teaspoonground cinnamon
1/4teaspoonground ginger
2tablespoonsfinely chopped candied ginger
1 3/4poundsplums, halved, pitted, elephant hearts halved again(12 Italian prune plums plus 4 elephant hearts, or a mix of plums and pluots)
The crunchy topping:
3/4cupgranulated sugar
1cupall-purpose flour
1/2teaspoonground cinnamon
1teaspoonbaking powder
1/4teaspoonkosher salt
1egg, beaten well
7tablespoonsunsalted butter, melted
Instructions
Position a rack in the center of your oven, and preheat the oven to 375°F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flavorings for the plums: brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, ginger, and candied ginger. Add the plums, and gently stir to coat. Arrange the plums in an ungreased, deep 9" pie plate or 10" solid tart pan.
In another medium bowl (or the same one, scraped fairly clean), combine the dry ingredients for the topping: the granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to blend well. Add the egg. Using your hands, mix thoroughly, squeezing and tossing and pinching handfuls of the mixture, to produce moist little particles. Sprinkle evenly over the plums.
Use a spoon to drizzle the butter evenly all over the topping. Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any wayward juices.
Place the crumble in the oven and bake for 35 - 45 minutes, until the top is golden-brown and the juices from the plums are bubbling. Cool slightly.
Serve the crumble warm or at room temperature, or even cold, with ice cream, crème fraîche, thick yogurt, or unsweetened whipped cream.
The crumble will keep in the fridge for a few days. Eat it cold, or re-warmed in a 300º oven before serving.
Notes
Adapted from Marion Burros via The Wednesday Chef and Orangette. Molly says you can triple the recipe and bake the crumble in a 9x13" pan to feed a crowd.Gluten-Free Variation:Use cornstarch instead of flour to toss the plums. Instead of AP flour, use 3/4 cup oat flour, 1/3 cup almond flour, and 1/4 cup sweet rice flour. Reduce the sugar to 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons. Alternatively, use the topping from this Gluten-Free Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble. Nutritional values are based on one of eight servings.