Go Back

Apricot Berry Crumble

Fresh apricots, raspberries, and blueberries, flavored with a few kernels of apricot seeds, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar, bake underneath a generous blanket of buttery flour, oats, sugar, and cinnamon.
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine English
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

Filling

  • 2 pounds fresh ripe, firm apricots (14 to16), halved and pitted
  • 8 apricot pits, cracked, kernels removed or substitute 8 unblanched raw almonds
  • 1 cup organic whole sugar or 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1 lemon, finely zested
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • 1 1/2 cup fresh raspberries
  • 1 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Crumble

  • 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour measured by spooning the flour into a dry measuring cup and leveling with a metal spatula
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking rolled oats (not instant)
  • 10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, (1 1/4 sticks) cut into tablespoon-size pieces

Instructions
 

Prepare Pans and Oven

  • Adjust an oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  • Have ready a 2 1/2 quart ovenproof baking dish such as a 10 x 2 inch round one or a 13 x 9 x 2 inch rectangular pan.

Prepare Filling

  • Prepare the apricots and cut each half in half. Place them in the baking dish.
  • Place the apricot kernels (or almonds) and 1/4 cup of the sugar in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process about 30 seconds until the kernels are finely ground.
  • Add the lemon zest and cornstarch and process 5 to 10 seconds longer.
  • Scrape kernel mixture off metal blade over the apricots and combine well with your fingers.
  • Scatter the raspberries and blueberries over the apricots, and drizzle with the lemon juice.

Prepare the Crumble

  • Reinsert the metal blade into the processor work bowl.
  • Add the flour, salt, cinnamon, oats, and remaining 3/4 cup sugar and process for 10 seconds.
  • Add the cold butter pieces and pulse only until the topping resembles coarse crumbs. You don’t want the butter to be too fine, so stop to check the texture after every 3 or 4 pulses.
  • Hand Method: If you’d rather, combine the flour, salt, cinnamon, and oats in a bowl, and cut the butter in with a pastry blender
  • Spread the flour and butter evenly over the fruit, but don’t pack it down. The pan will be quite full.

Bake

  • Bake 50 to 60 minutes, until the topping is crisp and browned and the fruit is bubbly and cooked through.
  • Cool the crumble on a wire rack, and serve warm or at room temperature.