Recipes {Peach Blackberry Crumble}

Monday, August 24, 2015

Peach Blackberry Crumble Bars

Hey all!  It's Mere's sister, writing from the other coast. The end of summer is almost here, so I'm savoring every last moment of it. This means picnics in the park, drinks on the roof, and, of course, fruit picking. (Note to self: Outdoor summer activities do not have to include food and drink.)

Last week I picked juicy peaches and ever-so-slightly tart blackberries from a farm just outside the city. After pondering this fruit combo for a day or two I knew I needed to do a recipe mash-up. You know the kind-- it's like when an artist takes two songs, mixes them together, and the result is kind of amazing. The two songs get stuck in your head. You walk down the hall at your office, bopping your head to the two songs, and people wonder if you have finally lost it. Oh, wait, that is just me?  Well, in the spirit of savoring life, I recommend you start bopping to every great song you hear regardless of your location.

This recipe mash-up is inspired by Shutterbean's Cherry Pie Crumble Bars and Smitten Kitchen's Almond-Crisped Peaches. I love the portability of the bars and the sweet, spiced quality of the crumble. You can swap out any fruit, especially any fruit you picked at a farm.

Without further ado, let's do this.

Softened butter mixes with flour, sugar, and a pinch of salt..

Press into a parchment lined pan. Make sure to press all the dough to an even thickness. The first time I made this crust my corners were a bit too thick.

Next mix together the fruit, a touch of brown sugar, some lemon juice, flour, and cornstarch. You could probably use flour or cornstarch, but I felt using the two together helped keep the filling firms do the bars more portable. This is particularly important when said bars are brought to picnics.

Dump that over the crust and prepare your crumble. It's a lot like the crust, but with brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Now bake these babies. The baking time will feel like an eternity as the smell of cinnamon , fruit, and sweet brown sugar crumble wafts through your home.

Let the bars cool for a couple hours, cut, and enjoy. Alternatively, one could forgo the wait, grab a fork, and eat straight out of the pan.

Peach Blackberry Crumble Bars

Inspired by Shutterbean’s Cherry Pie Crumble Bars and Smitten Kitchen’s Almond Crisp Peaches.

Ingredients

Crust

1 stick softened butter

1/2 cup white sugar

1 cup flour

Pinch of salt

Filling

2-3 soft peaches, cut into slices

3/4 cup blackberries

A squeeze of lemon juice

Brown sugar (1-4 tablespoons depending on your fruit)

1/4 cup flour

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Pinch of salt

Crumble

4 tablespoons softened butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

A large sprinkle of cinnamon

A small sprinkle of nutmeg

Pinch of salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line an eight or nine inch square pan with parchment. Lightly butter the parchment.
3. Mix together the crust ingredients. The mixture will be slightly crumbly.
4. Gently press the crust into the pan. Push the crust to make sides extending about an inch and a half. Make the crust roughly even in thickness.
5. Mix together the filling ingredients. Pour over crust.
6. Using the crust bowl, mix together the crumble ingredients. (No one like to dirty more dishes than necessary.)
7. Gently crumble the mixture over the fruit.
8. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until the crust is lightly brown and the fruit is bubbling.
9. Let cool for 2-3 hours. Enjoy!