Crumble is a popular classic among quick desserts. In addition, the dish is very suitable for processing leftover fruit – and vegetables – because savory crumbles are also on the rise. We show you which variations there are from sweet to spicy and how you can use leftovers optimally.
The so-called crumble, in Dutch “crumb cake”, is a very simple method for processing leftovers with only a few ingredients into a delicious snack or dessert. The crumble is originally a dessert from the English and American kitchen, where the fruit is loosely covered with crumbles of flour, butter and sugar and baked in the oven – a cake without a bottom, so to speak.
In the autumn there is a wide range of apples in the store. The ideal moment for the classic among the crumbles:Apple crumble pie. Wash the apples, peel them and cut them into wedges or cubes. Sprinkle with lemon juice and spread over an oven dish or on a baking tray. For the crumble, mix flour and sugar with cool but soft butter. For a crumble with three apples, we recommend about 75 grams of flour, 60 grams of sugar and 50 grams of butter. Then quickly knead with your hands into crumbs and spread evenly over the fruit. In the vegan version, the butter can easily be replaced by a vegetable margarine. Then bake in the preheated oven at 180 degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes until the crumble has a nice golden yellow color.
Creativity knows no bounds with Crumble:the crumble can be made even crispier with oat flakes, slivered almonds or walnuts. Raisins, honey and spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger or vanilla are also ideal for refining.
Almost anything that is tasty or leftover can be used for a fruit crumble pie. Fruits that already have dark spots and have been lying around for a while are ideal ingredients. Depending on what's left, you can easily mix different fruits together. In the fall, apples, pears, plums or quinces are particularly good seasonal candidates for the crumble. But it doesn't always have to!
A savory variant that is ideal for the autumn season is the pumpkin crumble:wash the pumpkin, halve, pit and cut into thin wedges. Mix the oil with the herbs of your choice and place in an oven dish together with the pumpkin wedges. For the crumble mix, add butter or margarine with oat flakes or flour and Parmesan cheese, salt and divide over the pumpkin. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes at 200 degrees until golden brown. Such a savory variant can also be used with other vegetables, for example with zucchini, leek or bell pepper, possibly mixed with ham.
The beet and apple crumble is a mix of sweet and savory that goes particularly well with autumn. Simply boil the beets for 45 to 60 minutes or use precooked beets. Cut into small wedges and mix with a little vinegar. Cut the apples into wedges, mix with the beetroot, season and place in a baking dish. Divide the crumble of butter, flour and possibly Parmesan cheese over it and bake in the oven at 200 degrees for about 25 minutes. This crumble variant goes particularly well with fish dishes.
