Summer Dessert Recipe: Peach and Blueberry Crumble

This is my first time making a crumble. I have always liked this easy and delicious dessert but somehow I have never made it- don’t know why. I was recently at a friends house helping her make a blueberry crumble. It didn’t take very long and was quite delicious with vanilla ice cream. I was having our usual Friday evening get together and decided to give it a try- but of course I wanted to change it up a bit. I looked through several recipes and fruit combinations and finally came up with my own- fresh peaches and blueberries. I love the blueberry taste but the peaches add another level of sweetness and unique flavor to the dish. After looking at all the recipes, I also came up with the crumble topping. The one I made at my friend’s house had flour and oats mixed with sugar and butter. I also added walnuts to the mix- first of all, walnuts are my favorite nut and second of all, they are the healthiest to eat- a super food. Speaking of super foods, blueberries and cinnamon are in that category as well- I also used white whole wheat flour and turbinado sugar. I love combining all these healthy ingredients that are so good for us in one dish- I don’t feel as guilty eating it then…

The fruit combination was great- I added pinneapple juice and almond extract to the mix- it gave the dish great flavor- something different- plus almonds always come to mind when I see peaches. The topping was yum as well- the flour and oats gave it a very nice texture and the walnuts gave it a great crunch. The powdered cinnamon and ginger played their parts really well also. Overall it was a big success. I am definitely going to make it more often with different combinations- maybe a mango raspberry crumble or a cherry almond one- hmm- I am getting hungry as I write this…I will go help myself to some more right now!

• 3 ripe peaches, cut into ¼ inch pieces
• 1 pint blueberries
• ¼ cup pineapple or orange juice
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• ½ cup turbinado sugar
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• An 8-inch square baking dish

Mix all the ingredients in the baking dish and keep aside.

Topping

• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup turbinado sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 cup toasted and chopped walnuts
• ½ cup toasted oats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a mixer, add the flour, sugars, and butter. Using the paddle attachment, incorporate the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks mealy or crumbly. Stir in the oats and nuts.
Distribute the topping over fruit. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling. Cool slightly and serve warm.