Blueberry Crumble

Dive into summer with Blueberry Crumble. Lush, seasonal, easy to make, this is an all-American dessert. The crumble is reminiscent of oatmeal cookies, hovering gloriously above the jammy blueberries. This is summer in every bite.

“When June came the grasses headed out and turned brown, and the hills turned a brown which was not brown but a gold and saffron and red—an indescribable color.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Summer has overtaken me. A deep dive into the season is all I seem to care about. Even my dreams have been drenched in sunshine. One was set in Paris. The early summer heat bounced across the stately buildings, warming all the old stone that was still cold with winter. We went to a museum with air-conditioning. Chilled, we zig zagged into blinding light, then a cafe. Perched on those classic red and white bistro chairs, the men were bare chested and tan, intent on their political conversations. Women in washed out linen and humongous straw hats dripping with vintage ribbon flowers. Bored with Paris, they were waiting for their annual summer holiday on the French Rivera. I thought to offer them some all-American Blueberry Crumble but it was just a dream.

Essentials

If you’re local, High Ground Organics in Watsonville has blueberry u-picks every Saturday in June. We went for blueberries to make jam. Such fabulous, freshly picked fruit is deserving of dessert making too. Instead of blueberry pie I made something easy, a Blueberry Crumble. This recipe is from Maida Heatter’s Book of Great American Desserts. The book is out of print but not difficult to find. Maida Heatter’s recipes always live up to expectations. Her descriptions of how the recipe comes together is how I wish everyone wrote their recipes. No photos, and yet you understand exactly. I changed a few things, adding salt to the crumble topping and writing the directions for the way I made the recipe. The Blueberry Crumble topping is fabulous. It’s just the right amount of crisp with buttery notes. With old fashioned oats and an entire layer of pecans the crumble is reminiscent of oatmeal cookies, hovering gloriously above the jammy blueberries. This is summer in every lush bite. Serve with vanilla ice cream for maximum impact.

1. Heat the oven to 375°. Butter a 11” x 8” shallow baking pan. Pan size is flexible, as long as there is room for the berries and crumble topping with an additional 1” above the topping for blueberries to cook and bubble.
2. To make the Blueberry Crumble Filling mix together the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl. Break up any clumps of brown sugar. Add the blueberries to the bowl and gently mix to coat all the berries. Scoop the blueberry filling into the prepared pan. Scrape any of the flour-sugar mixture that remains in the bowl on top of the blueberries. Drizzle the lemon juice across the blueberries.
3. To make the Pecan Crumble place the pecans on a sheet pan and spread them in a single layer. Roast for 10 minutes or until the pecans become fragrant and turn a toasty brown. Cool, then chop.
4. In a medium sized bowl mix together the flour, both sugars, nutmeg and sea salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the bowl. Mix the butter into the dry ingredients until well combined. Most of the topping should resemble large crumbs, the larger crumble pieces no bigger than a dime. Stir in the oatmeal.
5. Cover the blueberries with the chopped peans and then spread the crumble in an even layer across the top of the pecans. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the blueberries are bubbling up around the edges of the pan and the topping is browned. Serve warm with ice cream for maximum impact.