There’s something wonderfully comforting about a good fruit crumble, and this Three Fruit Crumble brings together the very best flavours of late summer and early autumn. Made with ripe pears, cooking apples, and a handful of berries — blackberries or cranberries, whichever you have — it’s a simple, homely dessert that celebrates seasonal fruit at its best.
With no pastry to fuss over and no complicated steps, this crumble comes together easily: just prepare the fruit, mix a buttery oat‑studded topping, and bake until the fruit turns soft and jammy and the top is golden and crisp. It’s the kind of cozy, old‑fashioned pudding that fills the kitchen with warmth and makes everyone eager for a spoonful. Serve it with cream, ice cream, or custard for the perfect finish.
- 1 1/4 cup (175g) self raising flour
- 5 1/2 TBS (75g) butter
- 1/3 cup (25g) oats
- 1/2 cup (100g) demerara sugar (turbinado)
- 1 1/3 pound (600g) ripe pears
- 1 1/2 pound (650g) cooking apples
- 1 cup (100g) cranberries or other berries
- 2 to 3 TBS sugar or to taste
- a handful of flaked almonds
Self‑raising flour
This gives the crumble topping a light lift and a slightly softer texture. It keeps things simple — no need to add extra leavening. You can make your own. Simply whisk together (for each cup needed) 1 cup (120g) of plain flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt.
Butter
Cold butter rubbed into the flour creates that classic crumbly, nubbly texture. It’s important to rub it in by hand — a food processor makes the mixture too fine and takes away the crunch.
Oats
They add a lovely rustic chew and a wholesome, almost nutty flavour to the topping. Oats help the crumble bake up crisp in places while staying tender underneath.
Demerara sugar
This coarse, caramel‑toned sugar gives the topping extra crunch and a deeper flavour than white sugar. It melts into the butter and oats beautifully.
Pears (Conference/Bosc)
These pears aren’t the best for eating fresh, but they shine in baking — they soften beautifully and add gentle sweetness. Pairing them with apples gives a better balance of flavour.
Cooking apples
Apples bring strength of flavour and a bit of tartness. They cook down into a soft, jammy base that works perfectly with the pears and berries.
Cranberries or blackberries
You can use either — or even all of one type. Cranberries add brightness and a pop of tartness, while blackberries bring juicy sweetness. Both help balance the softer flavours of the apples and pears. But you can use either all blackberries or all cranberries if you wish.
Sugar (for the fruit)
Just a little is tossed with the fruit to help it soften and release its juices. Adjust to taste depending on how tart your berries are.
Flaked almonds
Sprinkled on partway through baking, they toast beautifully and add a delicate nutty crunch to the top. They’re a simple addition that makes the crumble feel extra special.
- Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/gas mark 4. Have a baking tray upon which you have laid out a large shallow baking dish. (This can help to prevent a spill in the oven which makes for an easier clean up.)
- Measure the flour into a bowl. Cut the butter into bits and drop in. Rub in with your fingertips until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. Stir in the oats and demerara sugar. Set aside. (It should be a lovely loose an crumbly mixture.)
- Peel and core the pears and apples. Slice thinly into a bowl. Toss in the berries and the sugar. (I always remove the peels as they can be a bit unpalatable otherwise.)
- Toss all together to coat and them pour into the prepared baking dish. Scatter the crumble topping over top of all. (Don't press it down, you don't want it compact.)
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with the almonds, then return to the oven and bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown and crisp in places. (If it is getting too brown you can cover loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil.)
- Serve warm with either cream, ice cream, or custard for pouring over top. (I love cream.)
Choose good cooking fruit. Conference/Bosc pears aren’t ideal for eating fresh, but they shine in baked desserts — they soften beautifully and pair well with apples and berries.
Mix your fruits for the best flavour. Apples bring strength, pears add softness, and berries give brightness. You can use all blackberries or all cranberries if that’s what you have.
Prepare the fruit simply. Peel, core, and slice the apples and pears thinly so they cook evenly and become soft and jammy in the oven.
Don’t use a food processor for the crumble topping. Rubbing the butter in by hand keeps the mixture coarse and crumbly — exactly the texture that makes a crumble irresistible.
Don’t press the topping down. Scatter it lightly over the fruit so it bakes into a crisp, golden layer instead of becoming dense.
Watch the topping as it bakes. If it browns too quickly, cover the dish loosely with foil to protect it while the fruit finishes cooking.
Add the almonds partway through baking. Sprinkling them on after the first bake keeps them from burning and gives a lovely toasted finish.
Let it rest before serving. The crumble needs a few minutes to settle so no one burns their mouth — and the juices thicken beautifully.
Make two and freeze one. This recipe makes a generous amount, so preparing a second dish and freezing it (unbaked) is a great way to enjoy crumble later with no extra work.
Serve it your favourite way. Cream, ice cream, or custard — all are delicious.
Three Fruit Crumble
This delicious crumble makes use of three kinds of fruit. Don't be tempted to do the crumble mixture in a food processor. You will loose the rough texture that makes crumbles so fabulously crunchy and crumbly!
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup (175g) self raising flour
- 5 1/2 TBS (75g) butter
- 1/3 cup (25g) oats
- 1/2 cup (100g) demerara sugar (turbinado)
- 1 1/3 pound (600g) ripe pears
- 1 1/2 pound (650g) cooking apples
- 1 cup (100g) cranberries or other berries
- 2 to 3 TBS sugar or to taste
- a handful of flaked almonds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/gas mark 4. Have a baking tray upon which you have laid out a large shallow baking dish.
- Measure the flour into a bowl. Cut the butter into bits and drop in. Rub in with your fingertips until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. Stir in the oats and demerara sugar. Set aside.
- Peel and core the pears and apples. Slice thinly into a bowl. Toss in the berries and the sugar.
- Toss all together to coat and them pour into the prepared baking dish. Scatter the crumble topping over top of all. Don't press it down, you don't want it compact.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with the almonds, then return to the oven and bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown and crisp in places.
- Serve warm with either cream, ice cream, or custard for pouring over top
This content, written and photography, is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.
- 6 ripe, but firm peaches
- 12 (60g) of crisp amaretti biscuits, crushed
- 1 large free range egg yolk, beaten
- 2 TBS caster sugar (superfine sugar) plus extra for sprinkling
- 3 TBS ground almonds
- 1 TBS Disaronno liqueur or amaretto
- 3 TBS apple juice or white wine
- unsalted butter
- Cream, vanilla ice cream or clotted cream
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/gas mark 4. Butter a 12 by 10 inch baking dish. Set aside. (I used a ceramic dish that was about 1 1/2 inches deep)
- Cut each peach in half and remove the stones. (I follow the "cheeks" of the peach)
- Scrape out a bit of the centre of each peach with a small spoon into a bowl, leaving a slight hollow. (You just want a hollow large enough to hold the filling.)
- Mix in the crushed amaretti, ground almonds, sugar, egg yolk and liqueur. (Mix everything together well.)
- Place the peach halves into the baking dish, cut side up. Fill the hollows with the amaretti mixture, dividing it equally amongst the peaches. (I used a small spoon to do this. Don't pack it in. Fill them lightly.)
- Lay a thin slice of butter on top of each. Sprinkle with a bit more sugar and the wine. (The pat of butter makes for beautiful flavors in the finished dish.)
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden. Serve warm with or without lashings of cream or even ice cream, or clotted cream. It depends on how decadent you want to be. (I chose heavy cream, poured/drizzled over top.)
Choose firm peaches for baking. Soft or overly ripe peaches collapse in the oven — the recipe notes that the white peaches used were “not overly ripe” and held their shape beautifully.
Scoop out just enough peach flesh to create a proper hollow. You want space for the filling, but not so much that the peach loses structure. I suggest scraping out “a bit of the centre” only.
Crush the amaretti finely for the best texture. The filling works because the biscuits are crumbled well and mixed with ground almonds, sugar, liqueur, and egg yolk — this helps it bind and bake evenly.
Use any almond‑flavoured liqueur you have. Disaronno, Amaretto, or similar — the recipe is flexible, so use what’s in your cupboard.
Don’t skip the butter slice on top. That thin pat of butter melts into the filling and helps create a golden, caramelized finish.
Add a splash of liquid before baking. Apple juice, Prosecco, or even water helps keep the peaches moist and encourages a syrupy bake.
Bake until golden — not just until soft. The recipe recommends 20–25 minutes, but look for that lovely golden top as your cue.
Serve warm for maximum bliss. These are “HEAVENLY” served warm with cream — warm peaches release their aroma and sweetness.
Double the recipe if serving guests. They’re so delicious that I suggest making more than you think you’ll need.
Try nectarines or apricots when peaches aren’t available. The recipe is wonderfully adaptable to other stone fruits. You could also use large plums or even pears.
Amaretti Stuffed Peaches
This just may be the most delicious dessert you will ever taste. I used white peaches for this, but you can use any colour you want, or even nectarines or ripe apricots. It's very adaptable.
Ingredients
- 6 ripe, but firm peaches
- 12 (60g) of crisp amaretti biscuits, crushed
- 1 large free range egg yolk, beaten
- 2 TBS caster sugar (superfine sugar) plus extra for sprinkling
- 3 TBS ground almonds
- 1 TBS Disaronno liqueur or amaretto
- 3 TBS apple juice or white wine
- unsalted butter
- Cream, vanilla ice cream or clotted cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/gas mark 4. Butter a 12 by 10 inch baking dish. Set aside.
- Cut each peach in half and remove the stones. (I follow the "cheeks" of the peach)
- Scrape out a bit of the centre of each peach with a small spoon into a bowl, leaving a slight hollow.
- Mix in the crushed amaretti, ground almonds, sugar, egg yolk and liqueur.
- Place the peach halves into the baking dish, cut side up. Fill the hollows with the amaretti mixture, dividing it equally amongst the peaches.
- Lay a thin slice of butter on top of each. Sprinkle with a bit more sugar and the wine.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden. Serve warm with or without lashings of cream or even ice cream, or clotted cream. It depends on how decadent you want to be.
This content, written and photography, is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.
Social Icons