I always hesitate to put recipes for fruit desserts in the newsletter too early in the season. But it’s several weeks now and I thought some people might be ready. This recipe is ridiculously easy and yet different in two important ways from most desserts like it: it adds both less sugar and less flour to the fruit. There are still plenty of both in the topping. This makes for a tangier, juicier dessert that better captures the essence of the fruit.
You can use any combination of strawberries, cherries, apricots and peaches or all of one. Prepare 4 C. chopped fruit, pitted or trimmed as necessary.
Place the fruit in the bottom of a 9 inch pie dish or brownie pan and allow to warm to room temperature. Alternately, you can use individual ramekins.
Meanwhile, cut a cold stick (1/4 lb.) of salted butter into small pieces and crumble with 1/2 C. brown sugar and 1 C. whole wheat pastry or other whole grain flour. Use your fingers; you want a loose crumbly texture. If you massage the topping too long, the warmth of your hands will melt the butter and you will end up with a paste.
You can add 1/4 t. of ginger, nutmeg or cinnamon powder to the topping, but you really don’t need to.
When the oven is hot, sprinkle 1 T. of white sugar and 1 t. rice flour or cornstarch over the fruit and toss to combine. Cover the fruit with the topping and bake until it is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling.
Serve in bowls with a little pitcher of cream alongside.