LimeCake

Every year around this time, I can’t help myself; I can’t help but pine for dreaded winter to be over. Really, who needs to feel like the Abominable Snowman – fully padded with the thickest of coats and layer upon layer of knits and sweaters? And who needs frozen hands and feet beneath gloves and boots? Blue, truly blue. It’s this time of year that anything warm cries out to me.

I first tried this crumble recipe out of convenience – none of that ‘cutting’ of butter into flour; this is the melted stuff – and I’ve never used another since. You really only need one in your lifetime, and this is mine. Being midwinter, pears, the most wintery of winter fruit, make their appearance here, as do apples. I also added frozen mixed berries before baking – you can’t dispute its tart delightfulness (delightful tartness?) in a crumble. Warm, tender fruit bubbling and peaking beneath the most crisp and buttery crust – this will surely do for now.

Ridiculously short days devoid of sunshine be gone!

Winter Fruit Crumble (original recipe here)

quartered to serve 6

For Crumble:

¼ pound (1 stick or 113g) butter, melted

¼ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

1¼ cups flour

Fruit:

3 apples, sliced

1 pear, sliced

1/2 cup mixed frozen berries

Preheat oven to 180 deg C (350 deg F). Grease an 8 inch square cake pan or baking dish of similar capacity. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine all crumble ingredients and stir together. Keep working the crumbs with your spoon or your fingers until the butter is absorbed and forms clumps. At this point, I like to chill the crumble so that its shape remains after baking – totally optional; it can be used immediately too.

Layer fruit directly into the dish/pan and then sprinkle crumble on top.  Don’t worry if the fruit is still frozen.

Bake at for 30-45 minutes or until the fruit starts to bubble and the crumble is golden brown.

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