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Blueberry Crumble

Source of Recipe

From "Cook with Me" by Alex Guarnaschelli


Recipe Introduction

"My mother made blueberry crumble throughout my childhood, mostly in the summer when blueberries were in season. My mom's a New England gal and she grew up eating bowls of summer blueberries in a pool of heavy cream; in fact, she would often eat a small bowlful while she was baking this dessert. Lighter and crunchier than a cobbler, a crumble is topped with buttery spiced bread crumbs rather than biscuits. Mom made her own bread crumbs, but I happen to love the texture of panko and it saves me a step, too. I also veer from her recipe by adding a red wine vinegar and blueberry jam to the filling, and by cooking the blueberries to intensify their flavor *before* assembling and baking the crumble. I like baking this in a 4-quart rectangular baking dish that offers ample surface for more crunchy topping."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 10 tablespoons (1 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter, chilled, plus 1 tablespoon at room temperature
â—¦ 2 pounds (about 7 cups) fresh blueberries
â—¦ 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
â—¦ 1 cup blueberry jam
â—¦ 3 cups packed dark brown sugar
â—¦ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
â—¦ Grated zest and juice of 1 large lemon
â—¦ 1 ½ cups panko bread crumbs
â—¦ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
â—¦ â…› teaspoon ground nutmeg (preferably freshly grated)
â—¦ â…› teaspoon ground allspice
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon ground cloves


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Grease a 10-by-15-inch baking dish with the room-temperature butter.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of the chilled butter. Sauté half of the blueberries over medium heat until they start to release their liquid, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the berries to a large bowl. Repeat with another tablespoon of the chilled butter and the remaining blueberries. Set the cooked berries aside.

Make the filling: In a large bowl, gently stir together the red wine vinegar, jam, ½ cup of the brown sugar, ½ teaspoon of the salt, the lemon zest and juice, and the cooked blueberries. Set the filling aside.

Make the topping: Cut 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of the butter into cubes and place them in a large bowl. Add the bread crumbs and use your hands to work them together until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and 2 ½ cups brown sugar and the cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. Continue to work the ingredients in with your hands until the mixture looks like wet, buttery sand.

Spread the filling in the dish and top it with the spiced bread crumbs. Cover the dish tightly with foil and place it in your oven on the center rack. Bake until the topping is cooked and tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the foil and raise the oven temperature to 425° F. Bake until the top browns, 8 to 10 minutes. Let the crumble cool in the baking dish and serve it warm or at room temperature.

Serves 10 to 12