Crumbles aren’t just for Autumn and Winter. Most people don’t like to turn on the oven in summer and I realize no-bake desserts are wonderful, but there are some desserts worth risking the heat for. Fruit crumbles certainly fall into that category and of course, it goes without saying that it should be topped with ice cream or a whipped topping at least.
It seems that nearly any fruit is improved when you cover it in a layer of crunchy, buttery crumble. Strawberry and banana are a winning combination for many reasons. Strawberry gives a slight sweet and sour taste and banana adds a sweet and creamy texture.
This crumble is an incredibly simple and delicious dessert for when you need a last-minute dessert or for when you’re just craving a sweet, fruity treat.
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Strawberry-Banana Crumble
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Rating: 5
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Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
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In a large bowl, combine strawberries, bananas, 3 Tbsp flour, sugar, lemon juice & salt. Toss together gently to avoid bruising the bananas, Pour into a 9-inch baking dish or 6 ramekins.
Combine all ingredients for topping using fingertips to form a crumble. Completely cover fruit mixture with crumb topping.
Bake for about 40 minutes or until mixture is bubbling on the sides. Allow to sit for 15 minutes before serving with ice cream or whipped topping.
Crumble, a dish of British origin, can be sweet or savory. The sweet variety generally contains stewed fruit with a crumbly topping of butter, flour and sugar. A savory version uses meat, vegetables and sauce for the filling, with cheese replacing sugar in the crumble mix.
Crumbles and crisps are very similar. They both contain fresh fruit with a streusal-like topping. The original difference between the two was in the topping: crisps would contain oats and crumbles would not. Overtime the lines have blurred and the names crumble and crisp are now used interchangeably.
Oatmeal ‘anything’ is very nostalgic for me. I can’t remember one thing my mother made using oatmeal that I didn’t like, including ‘porridge’. Oatmeal is still as much a staple in our pantry as it was in my mothers.
For this dessert, I thought it would be unique to add a little caramelized twist to an old classic crumble. Caramelization is a chemical change that makes naturally occurring sugars in fruit, when gently sauteed in butter, turn brown and quite flavorful. The combination of caramelized bananas, fresh mango and lemon juice topped with a spicy crumble is wonderful (and easy).
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Caramelized Banana & Mango Crumble
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Rating: 5
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Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 F. On a parchment lined baking sheet, slice bananas into discs. Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp brown sugar & bake for about 10 minutes or until caramelized. Remove from oven. In a medium bowl, place mango, 1 Tbsp sugar & lemon juice. Mix until combined; add Caramelized bananas & toss gently. Spoon fruit mixture equally into 2 or 4 ramekins.
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In a small dish, toss together all of the crumble ingredients, using your fingers to combine. Divide crumble between ramekins. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with either ice cream or whipped cream.
Brunch! The word evokes thoughts of a lazy week-end morning, sleeping late, eating ‘brunch’ while sipping a glass of sangria in the late morning or early afternoon.
In the food industry, brunch was a fun meal to prepare. Being a combination of both breakfast & lunch means the options are endless. If you are serving a large amount of people, generally eight food groups make up the menu along with beverages. I always enjoyed the visual beauty of a large brunch presentation all carefully prepared and set out.
At our house, Brion and I have always been early risers so brunch isn’t a meal that really works for us. That being said, I do have some special memories of a time when we enjoyed brunch.
It was in the south of France. In 2001, after we had left Paris, we drove 613 km (380 miles) south to the sleepy village of St. Thibery. This little medieval village, population of 2481, can be traced back more than 4000 years of known history.
As I had mentioned in an earlier blog, my sister Loretta had joined Brion and I on this French vacation. For this segment of the trip we had rented an apartment in St Thibery to use as ‘home base’ during our time there. Many of these houses are from the 14th, 15th and 17th century. The apartment was quaint but adequate even having a roof top patio. What’s not to love, amidst the beautiful French vineyards, close to that blue Mediterranean.
We spent about a week in St Thibery and it was there that the three of us made some special memories enjoying our leisure French brunches. In view of all the world crisis we are experiencing today, I cherish the many memories we have from our world travels in more peaceful times.
A few brunch options that I think are noteworthy and would like to share with you today are Bacon & Egg Croissants with Lime-Ginger Fresh Fruit, Peaches & Cream French Toast as well as Asparagus Cordon Bleu Crepes.
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Bacon & Egg Croissants/Lime-Ginger Fresh Fruit * Peaches & Cream French Toast * Asparagus Cordon Bleu Crepes
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Ingredients
Peaches & Cream French Toast
Asparagus Cordon Bleu Crepes
- 8 crepes, plain
- 680 grams fresh asparagus spears
- 8 thin slices ham
- Dijon mustard, old fashioned, grainy
- 8 slices Swiss cheese
- 2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped
- fresh parsley, snipped
- dried tarragon, crushed (optional)
- 3 Tbsp margarine
- 3 Tbsp flour
- 1/2 tsp dried tarragon, crushed
- 1/2 tsp salt (dash of pepper, if preferred)
- 1 1/2 cups half & half cream
- 85 ml mushrooms, sliced, drained
Ingredients
Peaches & Cream French Toast
Asparagus Cordon Bleu Crepes
- 8 crepes, plain
- 680 grams fresh asparagus spears
- 8 thin slices ham
- Dijon mustard, old fashioned, grainy
- 8 slices Swiss cheese
- 2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped
- fresh parsley, snipped
- dried tarragon, crushed (optional)
- 3 Tbsp margarine
- 3 Tbsp flour
- 1/2 tsp dried tarragon, crushed
- 1/2 tsp salt (dash of pepper, if preferred)
- 1 1/2 cups half & half cream
- 85 ml mushrooms, sliced, drained
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Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Cheese Sauce
In a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour, dry mustard salt & pepper. Add milk. Stir constantly over medium heat until mixture thickens & bubbles. Reduce heat to low & stir in cheese. Cook, stirring constantly, until cheese is melted. Keep warm.
Lime-Ginger Fresh Fruit
In a saucepan, mix sugar & cornstarch. Stir in water. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Cook & stir until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in lime peel, lime juice & gingerroot.
In a large bowl, gently toss prepared fruit. Pour lime mixture over fruit; gently toss. Cover & refrigerate until ready to serve.
Bacon & Egg Croissants
Cook bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Split croissants, lay on a barely warm griddle to warm. In a saucepan, pour water to a 3" depth & bring to boiling. Reduce to simmering. Break an egg into a shallow dish; gently slip into water. Repeat with the remaining 3 eggs. Cook 2 -3 minutes. Remove eggs from water with a slotted spoon.
Place 2 bacon slices on bottom half of each croissant then top with a poached egg. Ladle some cheese sauce over egg, placing croissant top on the side. Serve with side dishes of Lime-Ginger Fresh Fruit.
Peaches & Cream French Toast
In a small bowl, whisk eggs & 3 Tbsp peach preserves. Beat in half & half. Place a single layer of bread slices in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Pour egg mixture over bread. Cover & refrigerate a few hours or overnight until most of the liquid is absorbed. In a small bowl, beat 1/3 cup peach preserves & 4 Tbsp softened margarine with an electric mixer on high until fluffy; set aside until ready to serve.
At serving time, Heat griddle to medium-high heat; melt 2 Tbsp margarine. Add bread slices & cook until lightly browned, turning once. Serve French Toast topped with peach butter & fresh peach slices. Sprinkle with toasted almonds & powdered sugar.
Asparagus Cordon Bleu Crepes
Prepare crepes (see recipe on 'French Crepe' blog from July 25/16). Trim asparagus spears. In a large saucepan, cook asparagus spears in boiling salted water just until tender-crisp; drain. Place a slice of ham on each crepe. Spread ham slice with mustard. Top with a slice of cheese, asparagus spears & tomatoes. Sprinkle with parsley & tarragon, as desired.
Roll up crepes. In a 13 x 9-inch baking dish, place crepes seam-side down. Preheat oven to 375 F. In a medium saucepan, melt margarine; blend in flour, 1/2 tsp tarragon, salt & pepper. Whisk in half & half, stirring constantly over medium-high heat until mixture thickens & bubbles. Stir in sliced mushrooms. Pour sauce over crepes in baking dish. Bake 25 minutes or until heated through.
Recipe Notes
- Lime-Ginger Fresh Fruit adapted from from pillsbury. com
- Brunch ideas adapted from Pat Jester's Brunch Cookery (1979)
